Ancient Iraqi minaret is U.S. army snipers' nest

Reuters ^ | 1/24/05 | Ibon Villelabeitia

[kattracks]

SAMARRA, Iraq, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Two U.S. army snipers sit on the top of an ancient minaret in the Iraqi city of Samarra, scanning for rebels who might try to plant bombs on a nearby road, and braving rain, sun and winds in long, lonely shifts.

Crouched behind sandbags, the soldiers say guerrillas bent on sabotaging the Jan. 30 elections frequently shoot at them with small-arms fire, mortars and rockets, sometimes hitting the 52-metre-tall minaret, built over 1,000 years ago.

"We get shot at all the time," said Sgt. Steve Langelier, 25, from Newport, Rhode Island.

"We are very busy. Scanning the city takes all day. It only slows down after the curfew," said Langelier, as he eyed the city below with the scope of his .50 calibre-rifle.

The snipers from the 1st Battalion 26th Infantry Regiment, work in 24-hour two-man shifts, taking turns to eat and sleep.

They were posted on top of the distinctive spiral minaret -- the highest vantage point in this violent Sunni Muslim city -- after U.S. and Iraqi forces overran Samarra in October and wrested it from the control of insurgents.

Before that, the U.S. army says, the insurgents used the minaret, part of a sprawling 9th century mosque, to shoot at U.S. troops and to orchestrate mortar attacks against U.S. bases outside town.

They say the number of roadside bombs -- a constant danger for U.S. vehicles patrolling this city of 200,000 -- has dropped dramatically since the snipers roosted in the minaret.

As the landmark elections approach, the strategic importance of the minaret has soared, with U.S. and Iraqi forces stepping up efforts to safeguard the vote, the first in Iraq since a U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.

"The city has benefited from us being here. The number of IEDs (improvised explosive devices, or roadside bombs) has gone down," said soldier Sean Thomas, 24, from York, Maine.

A hole the size of a watermelon was left in the minaret when it was hit last month by an insurgent's mortar, the U.S. army says. The external staircase which spirals round the brick building is littered with sniper shells.

Capt. William Rockefeller, in charge of the nine-man sniper team, said he has not received any complaints about using the minaret as a snipers' nest.

"You only have to wonder why the Iraqis shoot at their own minaret," he said.

With its commanding views, the snipers also catch a glimpse of everyday life of Samarra -- children playing soccer in dirt plots, women going to market or worshippers streaming into the Golden Mosque in the distance, its dome glistening in the sun.

The Tigris River meanders by, and the sound of car horns and voices reach the top of the minaret.

"I like the views. Especially when the moon is out," Thomas said.

Samarra was once a famous city in the Abassid Caliphate but today it is a rundown, garbage-strewn town at the heart of the Sunni triangle, where the insurgency is relentless. Mortars rain almost daily on U.S. bases here.

Despite the risks and the cold nights, the snipers say they enjoy their post at the minaret.

"I told my dad to look up Samarra on the Internet," Langelier said. "I told him: `You see that spiral tower? That is where I spend most of the day'."

[Holicheese]

If we damage a "Holy Site" the Arab street will go crazy.

[newsgatherer]

I like the .50 cal, but, I really like the MOAB.

[newsgatherer]

Thanks, I have just posted this on todays update for Christian-news-in-maine.com you, SheLion, Alamo Girl and other Freepers sure make my job easier.