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Al-Jazeera: Mosques bombed as fighting rages in Falluja
Al-Jazeera.net ^ | 11-10-04

Posted on 11/10/2004 2:40:06 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

Almost half of the mosques in the Iraqi town of Falluja have been destroyed, with US warplanes launching air strikes and fierce fighting on the ground continuing.

An Iraqi journalist told Aljazeera that US forces on Wednesday resumed attacks on the city, targeting Julan in the north-west to al-Jughaivi in the north-east.

Fadil al-Badrani said there are an estimated 120 mosques in the city.

"Almost half of the city's mosques have been destroyed after being targeted by US air and tank strikes," al-Badrani added.

Fierce clashes also erupted between armed fighters as the US forces thrust deeper into the city in the early hours, he said.

Machinegun, mortar and rocket fire shook the city as planes made several bombing runs over Julan district in the space of 15 minutes, a Reuters reporter said.

Smoke was rising from houses just beyond Falluja's captured rail station, where marines and Iraqi forces have a base.

Marines said their opponents showed no signs of giving up, even though US forces penetrated to the centre of the city, west of Baghdad, after an offensive launched on Monday night.

In-depth organisation

A tank platoon that moved along Falluja's main street saw fighters who had just come under mortar fire climb on to rooftops and fire rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and machineguns.

"There are lots of them. We took heavy fire," Gunnery Sergeant Ishmail Castillo told Reuters. "They opened up on my tank. They don't look like they are going to cave in."

Castillo said his tank had killed six fighters and that two marines were wounded in fighting. "One of the marines was hit in the head by RPG shrapnel," he said.

"They hit us from one area and then another right afterwards. There is in-depth organisation. There were small-arms attacks all night," he said.

Al-Badrani said US forces had taken some casualties. "Two US military tanks have been so far destroyed in Julan neighbourhood, where the most violent clashes are taking place," he said.

"Three US armoured vehicles have been also destroyed in other parts of the city. The clashes are very violent. Fighters have showed up from other neighbourhoods and streets the US forces are unfamiliar with.

"US forces entered central Falluja city at around 12:00 (Iraqi local time) but were fiercely attacked by the fighters," al-Badrani said.

"They withdrew from the area after half an hour, heading for their positions in the northern parts of the city," he added.

Residents told al-Badrani the crews of two US tanks deserted their vehicles in Julan, leaving them to be seized by fighters.

Explosions heard

Marine tanks that pushed through central Falluja on Tuesday night encountered stiff resistance.

The Pentagon said on Tuesday evening that at least 10 US and two Iraqi soldiers had died in the offensive unleashed by 10,000 US soldiers and marines and 2000 Iraqi troops.

US marines poured hundreds of rounds into rebel positions and blasted buildings with tank shells on Tuesday, but also took casualties, with bloodied troops stretchered away.

Explosions could be heard across Falluja after nightfall, but large-scale fighting appeared to have eased.

"I think we are looking at several more days of tough urban fighting," said the US commander in charge of day-to-day military operations in Iraq, Lieutenant-General Thomas Metz.

Children dying

The assault on Falluja, where residents say wounded children are dying from lack of medical help, food shops are closed and power is cut, angered Muslim clerics who urged Iraqis to boycott January elections seen as vital to peace.

Al-Badrani said many civilians had died in indiscriminate bombing of the city and people had resorted to burying their dead in gardens. Many houses have been destroyed.

Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who on Tuesday imposed a night curfew on Baghdad for an indefinite period, got a personal taste of the clerics' anger at a Ramadan iftar meal the same day.

"You have to stop fighting for four or five hours," Adnan al-Dulaimi, a Sunni official in the Religious Affairs Ministry, told Allawi before the evening meal, a pool reporter said.

"There are a lot of injured that have to be taken care of. Give them time to rescue the injured. There are civilians getting killed in Falluja. You are responsible for their lives in front of God," Dulaimi declared.

"As you know, we tried every alternative before resorting to military force," Allawi replied. "We have nothing against the civilians of Falluja ... . They are the sons of this country."

Boycott call

In a move that could potentially undermine the 27 January polls, the Sunni body, the Association of Muslim Scholars (AMS), urged a boycott.

"The clerics call on the ... people of Iraq to boycott the coming elections that they want to hold on the remains of the dead and the blood of the wounded from Iraqi cities like Falluja and others," Harith al-Dhari, its top official, said.

Residents say scores of civilians died and for those struggling to live in the city, life is grim.

Many of the city's 300,000 people had fled to escape air strikes and artillery bombardments preceding the assault. The US military said about 150,000 residents had left.

Those left behind say they have no power and use kerosene lamps. They keep to ground floors for safety, some living in shattered homes because it is too dangerous to move.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; Israel; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: aljazeerasucks; arab; arabs; fallujadelendaest; islam; islamists; muslims; terrorists
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..."Almost half of the city's mosques have been destroyed after being targeted by US air and tank strikes," al-Badrani added...

I like our new rules of engagement.

1 posted on 11/10/2004 2:40:10 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Wow, great news. We are finally targeting ammo dumps,,,,errr I mean mosques.


2 posted on 11/10/2004 2:41:28 PM PST by mlbford2 ("Never wrestle with a pig; you can't win, you just get filthy, and the pig loves it...")
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Half down, half to go.

Is it half finished or half begun?

3 posted on 11/10/2004 2:41:44 PM PST by tallhappy (Juntos Podemos!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Guess they won't call it the city of mosques anymore.


4 posted on 11/10/2004 2:42:27 PM PST by cripplecreek (Greetings from Militiagan.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

agreed. no more pussyfooting around.


5 posted on 11/10/2004 2:42:40 PM PST by the invisib1e hand (if a man lives long enough, he gets to see the same thing over and over.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

They're capturing tanks? Who the hell can possibly swallow this tripe?


6 posted on 11/10/2004 2:42:40 PM PST by Caged in Canuckistan (A message from Canada: GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

What is exactly considered a Mosque. Isn't it a fact that store fronts can be considered a mosque. Can someones home be considered a mosque? Something is fishy here. We need a little more specificity.


7 posted on 11/10/2004 2:42:45 PM PST by marty60
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To: tallhappy

Is Islam half empty, or half full?


8 posted on 11/10/2004 2:42:48 PM PST by AzSteven
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To: mlbford2

Allahu Fubar!


9 posted on 11/10/2004 2:43:21 PM PST by sheik yerbouty
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To: tallhappy

HA! I think its half finished ;)


10 posted on 11/10/2004 2:44:44 PM PST by nascartex
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Remember, this is Al Jazeera - mouthpiece of terrorism.

You can pretty much believe that most of this is crap.


11 posted on 11/10/2004 2:44:47 PM PST by wvobiwan (Touchdown! Suckers walk...)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Why are we passing up so many mosques? Every single one of these buildings is in use by the Ba'athist terrorists as an armory or barracks.


12 posted on 11/10/2004 2:44:55 PM PST by muawiyah
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Blow them all up...Mosques are the true factories of weapons of mass destructions.


13 posted on 11/10/2004 2:45:04 PM PST by dinok
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To: marty60

"What is exactly considered a Mosque."


If enemy fire comes from them it doesn't matter within the allmighty Geneva convention.


14 posted on 11/10/2004 2:45:05 PM PST by cripplecreek (Greetings from Militiagan.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Almost half of the mosques in the Iraqi town of Falluja have been destroyed.

Good. Fewer ammo dumps and fewer terrorist watering holes. I'm glad to see we're finally fighting this war properly.

15 posted on 11/10/2004 2:46:37 PM PST by Prime Choice (Hey-hey! Ho-ho! Arlen Specter's gotta go!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
..."Almost half of the city's mosques have been destroyed

Only half? I'd say we're behind schedule!

16 posted on 11/10/2004 2:46:51 PM PST by Reagan is King (The modern definition of 'racist' is someone who is winning an argument with a liberal.)
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To: sheik yerbouty

Excellent. It's a start, anyway. Just let our boys finish what they started. Don't call them off for political concerns.


17 posted on 11/10/2004 2:46:52 PM PST by revealerls
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
They had egregious opportunity to protect their precious mosques. 6 months.
18 posted on 11/10/2004 2:46:57 PM PST by txhurl
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

OK guys, this is AlJazeera. You know, PR for the bad guys.

If there is any disinformation that can possibly be of service to the Jihadis it will be in this piece of crap story.


19 posted on 11/10/2004 2:46:57 PM PST by SBprone
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

READ THIS REPORT:

http://www.kevinsites.net/2004_11_07_archive.html#110011362813651794

Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Street By Street

Even before first light -- U.S. Marines, soldiers and Iraqi National Guard troops swarmed into Falluja. Tanks and heavily armored Bradley Fighting used their main guns to blow up cars and buses parked down side streets -- just in case they might be booby-trapped -- packed with explosives.

"This is a frigging ghost town," says Corporal Steven Wolf, a squad leader for the vehicle the CAAT (Combined Anti Armor Team) Platoon. The streets are deserted. But there are some exceptions. The dead.

The Marines are operating with liberal rules of engagement.

"Everything to the west is weapons free," radios Staff Sgt. Sam Mortimer of Seattle, Washington. Weapons Free means the marines can shoot whatever they see -- it's all considered hostile.

Our humvees pass by a body of a man in the center of the street. There is hole through his left eyes socket where a Marine sniper round passed cleanly through.

Down another side street is the body of a second man. This one dressed in clean white sneakers and athletic pants. He is on his back -- his arms behind his head, his face seems nearly peaceful, content. Not far from him--a Russian-made Dragonov sniper rifle. From the black ammo vest strapped to his chest loose 7.62 rounds have spilled to the ground.

The Marines I'm embedded with are nearly ebullient. This looks to be a cakewalk.

One jokes they'll be sipping 'Pina Coladas by the Euphrates River by fifteen-hundred.'

There is the occasional popgun crack of an AK-47 being fired. Usually just single rounds so the shooter can avoid detection. These "nuisances are met with overwhelming firepower. The concussion from the main gun on an Abrams M1 tank is powerful enough to knock you off your feet if you get to close.

The deep "whoomps" flashing from their long muzzles echo across the city while Bradleys wind down their 25-millimeter cannons on suspicious targets.

Down every other alleyway a vehicles is engulfed in furious orange flames.

Black smoke billows from building in the distance.

Almost to a man -- the 3.1 Marines I'm embedded with have all lost friends in this protracted war of attrition. They are eager "to get some," to pay "haji" back for the car bombs and IED's (improvised explosive devices) that have killed or maimed so many of their brother "Devil Dogs."



They are extremely likeable -- these young Marines -- full of bravado and easygoing about the danger that surrounds them. Some thumb through Maxim Magazine, others the Bible while the wait patiently to reign down death and destruction on their enemies.

"We're going to let loose the dogs of war," says Staff Sgt. Mortimer, "before the Falluja offensive begins. "It will be hell," he says, smiling after.

This levity continues until the Marines turn the corner onto a main street they've tactically dubbed, "Elizabeth."

Despite the constant weapons fire and explosion that have accompanied our advance -- this one is different -- it's directed at the Marines. As a squad from India Company passes by a way with a spray painted rocket propelled grenade launcher -- a real RPG round explodes against it. One Marines' face is burned by the powder and hot gas -- another has caught shrapnel in the leg, a third has been shot in the finger by the small arms fire that followed. The Marines are outraged. They turn their M-16's on the building to the west where they believe the shooter is hiding. But that's just an appetizer.

A gunner sitting in the armored turret of a humvee fires 40-millimeter grenades non-stop into the building -- until the gun jams.

Staff Sgt. Terry Mcelwain of Burden, Kansas is pissed. He grabs the bazooka-like AT-4 rocket launcher from the back of another humvee. It's fire trail zips into the now smoking building. Mcelwain wants Weapons Company to fire a tow missile into it as well, but low hanging electrical wires make it impossible -- so he calls up the tanks instead.

Two Abrams lumber toward the target. They stop and fire their main guns in unison. The explosion shakes the street. But the Marines aren't done yet.
They pour in more rounds from 50 caliber machine guns and their M16's.

But as the unit moves past the building, going from east to west, another RPG explodes behind them, then a third. More casualties. A Navy Corpsman cut the pants leg off one of the injured and wraps a guaze dressing around the bleeding wound while another Marine covers with a 249-SAW (squad Assault Weapon). But regardless of how much firepower the Marines bring to bear -- they can't seem to silence this phantom enemy, which continues to fire on them from the rear.

Then insurgent snipers begin firing in front of the Marines as well. One round pierces the Kevlar helmet a twenty-year old Mark 19 gunner -- in my vehicle. He is badly wounded. He's put in a canvas stretcher and six Marines run through the streets carrying him to a waiting military ambulance.

Shortly after -- another RPG round hits a humvee, but doesn't explode. The Marines are rattled but uninjured. A Marine who has caught shrapnel in the face is led to the safety of an empty storefront -- his eyes bandaged shut -- his hands outstretched -- probing the air in front of him.
The Marines know they are being hunted. Boxed from the east and the west in a treacherous kill zone by an enemy they can feel -- but can't see. Their superior firepower is checked by the insurgent's knowledge of the city -- their cunning in using blind alleyways and the crooks and crannies of buildings to pick off the Marines.

The gun battle continues late into the night -- eventually an AC-130 gunship is called in and strafes Elizabeth Street with its mini guns. With eight of their men wounded--it is a bloody and disappointing start for the Marines -- and a reminder that to win the battle for Falluja -- they will likely have to fight as they did today block by block, street by street.


20 posted on 11/10/2004 2:47:02 PM PST by finnman69 (cum puella incedit minore medio corpore sub quo manifestus globus, inflammare animos)
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