MNF-Iraq: Marines find weapons in An Najaf cemetery

CENTCOM, MNF-Iraq ^ | August 7, 2004

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

	NEWS RELEASE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND 7115 South Boundary Boulevard MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101 Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894

August 7, 2004
Release Number: 04-08-25

MNF-Iraq: Marines find weapons in An Najaf cemetery

FOWARD OPERATING BASE DUKE - Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit uncovered numerous weapons caches in a cemetery, during a mission Thursday.

Marines uncovered IED-making material, rocket-propelled grenades, AK-47s and machine gun ammunition.

Members of the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Muqtada Militia had set up an operating base at the cemetery, storing large weapon caches and hiding in its sanctuary.

Marines entered the cemetery Thursday, supported by Marine and Army helicopters and Air Force jets, and immediately engaged in heavy fighting with the militia members that lasted two days.

The assault by the Marines was a result of the Muqtada Militia launching numerous attacks from the sacred site, violating international laws of war and the cease-fire agreement between Sadr and coalition forces. The agreement, negotiated in June by the Governor of Najaf and other local civic and religious leaders, included the creation of an exclusion zone for coalition forces around the Imam Ali Shrine and its neighboring cemetery.

Activity increased from the cemetery over time, to include sporadic offensive operations against Iraqi Security Forces and several kidnappings of Iraqi police, whose bodies were branded before being released by militiamen. The Muqtada Militia kidnapped their enemies, including innocent civilians, bringing them to the cemetery for torture, execution and burial.

Thursday morning, attacks on the main police station in Najaf originated from, and were reinforced from, the cemetery. Soon mortar fire, originating from the cemetery, targeted and rained down close to Iraqi Security Forces and Marines until the enemy firing position was destroyed by an F-15 fighter jet. Militia fighters were continually observed in the holy site replenishing themselves with weapons and ammunition staged there.

While the international laws of armed conflict normally identify sites like this as protected places, such status is forfeited if the site is used for military purposes. The actions of the Muqtada Militia make the cemetery a legitimate military objective, which was only assaulted due to necessity and self-defense. During the fighting, the Marines made every effort to minimize collateral damage and preserve the cemetery.

For more information, call the Coalition Press Information Center, Baghdad, 914-360-5071, 5976.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

FOWARD OPERATING BASE DUKE  -

 

 ....Members of the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Muqtada Militia had set up an operating base - storing large weapon caches - hiding in it's sanctuary... 

 

Marines entered the cemetery - supported by Marine, Army helicopters, Air Force jets - immediately engaged in heavy fighting with the militia members that lasted two days. 

  

                                                                                                                               

 

      11th MEU on a mission - CENTCOM, allied news, ping!

 

 

  TWO MARINES KILLED IN ACTION IN AN NAJAF PROVINCE - CENTCOM

   

         8 More than 1,200 militiamen surrender in Najaf: police 

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[Sacajaweau]

I believe this is a HUGE cemetery...like a small town so I don't think we've found everything yet. Let's see what the next couple of days brings.

[Enterprise]

"I believe this is a HUGE cemetery"

Evidently it had 300 new arrivals in just two days!

[El Gato]

Clearly the enemy is taking full advantage of our policy of respecting their "holy" sites. A slight adjustment of the ROE would seem to be required. At minimum, if fire is taken from a Mosque or other such site, no permission should be required from higher up to use the full firepower available to respond. Level the place if that's what it takes. In those areas, such as those under the nominal control of Alasdair and his fighters, all such sites should be searched and sanitized. I'm sure we'd be well rewarded with weapons and terrorists if we did. 'Course we'd probably have to kill several hundred more of them in the process, consider it "gravy".

[tsmith130]

People are dying to get in there!

[DustyMoment]

Bravo, Marines!!!!! The more of this crap they find and the more Muslim vermin they destroy, the safer we all are and the more of them come home safe.

Keep going, guys, you are on the right track!

[Wonder Warthog]

"Clearly the enemy is taking full advantage of our policy of respecting their "holy" sites."

Muslims are by their very religion, dishonest and dishonorable. It is a fact that it is an article of their religion that they can freely lie, cheat, and steal from any individual who is not a Muslim. They will use ANY TOOL AT THEIR DISPOSAL to their advantage.

After all, "the Prophet" did it, so they are free to do likewise.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Efficient and effective.

[rageaholic]

Muslims are by their very religion, dishonest and dishonorable. It is a fact that it is an article of their religion that they can freely lie, cheat, and steal from any [nonmuslim]... After all, "the Prophet" did it, so they are free to do likewise.

Finally the truth about Islam is starting to filter into the mainstream. Your statement is factually correct, and supported by the Koran and islamic scholarly texts. We weren't supposed to know this, 9/11 was a "crash course" on I Slam.

Mohammad had a criminal record that would shame even the most hardened criminals on death row. And Mohammad is considered by Mu-slimes to be the "only perfect human".

[Prost1]

I posted this on another thread...

On News/Activism 08/06/2004 3:21:45 PM PDT · 36 of 58
BBC article on Najaf
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3716143.stm
Excerpt: "For centuries, Muslims from across the Shia world have sought to be buried here, within sight of the city's gilded Imam Ali Shrine.

Known as the Valley of Peace, it is said to be one of the largest, if not the largest, graveyards on the planet.

If Najaf itself is one of Iraq's biggest cities, with a population of nearly 600,000, then the city of the dead down upon which it looks holds the remains of millions, stretching for up to 10 kilometres (six miles) along the valley."

Since the bad guys are fighting from there, it is fitting they be buried there...sooner rather than later...

News Bulletin: "US Air Force drops bombs and rains death on cemetery."

[McGavin999]

I can not believe they would use a cemetary as an operating base. There is no decency to these terrorists, none.

[bandleader]

Let's fill this cemetery to the brim!These ANIMALS use mosques,cemeteries,etc.,etc.,as staging grounds to wage war?I guess they've naver heard of The Geneva Conventions!!!

[bandleader]

SEMPER FI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bandleader]

That's right!We're just not displaying enough"Sensitivity"!!John Skerry has promised that he has a"Secret Plan"to conduct a more"Sensitive"war against terrorism!!!The terrorists must be shaking in their turbans!!!

[MEG33]

Sensitve war on terror..Oh Brother!

[RottiBiz]

Yesterday on Fox it was reported that al-Sadr was talking about another cease fire.

Hope we've learned the lesson never to agree to a cease fire with these barbarians.

Praying for the troops.

[windchime]

Bump!

[RottiBiz]

...several kidnappings of Iraqi police, whose bodies were branded before being released by militiamen.

Branding!

I abhor the brutality of these savages, but at least these policemen are alive and will wear their brands as badges of honor for the rest of their lives.

Militiamen? No, they are brutal and uncivilized subhumans!