It's Game On In Ramadi: Long Awaited Operation Underway, Fierce Fighting in Center of City

Iraq Slogger ^ | March 2 2007 | ROBERT Y. PELTON

[jmc1969]

The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division (1-3ID)is currently engaged in street to street fighting in central Ramadi. The much anticipated attack follows months of hands off policy as troops were routinely sniped and attacked with orders not to retaliate.

After much planning U.S. forces along with a collection of hired local tribesmen from nearby Sofia (a suburb of Ramadi) and other groups are attacking and clearing the are house by house. The tribes have been formed into paramilitary units called "Emergency Response Units" and are linked with U.S. troops.

The 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment (1-9), 2nd Infantry Division has been given the dirty job of house to house combat in Ramadi's center. Many of the houses have been booby trapped in anticipation of the attack. The U.S. Military estimates that there are around 60 insurgents remaining in the area of 15,000 people. Initial estimates put the insurgent numbers at between 100 and 200.

[happygrl]

Yeah, that frosted me too.

Prayers for our warriors.

[advertising guy]

amen brother.Godspeed and God bless our troops....

[happygrl]

Abiziad even told Murtha that they were inches apart when it comes to Iraq.

Perhaps Abizaid was like General Colin Powell, who stated in his book that he was adverse to killing "brown people."

[SF Republican]

Ephesians 6

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

[taxcontrol]

NOTHING will ever replace boots on the ground.

God Speed and much prayers for all of our troops and allies. House to house fighting is nasty stuff with high causality rates. But it is necessary to clear out a rats nest.

[USS Alaska]

The much anticipated attack follows months of hands off policy as troops were routinely sniped and attacked with orders not to retaliate.

WTF? How in the world could our guys ever win if they were forbidden to return fire? I'm a Bush backer, but if we were not permitting our guys to whip the bad guys, what in the hell were we doing?

[CDHart]

Amen!

carolyn

[jmc1969]

AMEN with that.

Ground pounders still and for the forseeable future will remain the most vital part winning wars.

[taxed2death]

I am so humbled by our fighting forces... but you know if I had a loved one over there.....I'm pretty sure I'd be locked up somewhere for slamming the testicles of the JERK who set those ROE..................... SLOWLY into a bench vise.

[jmc1969]

Playing PC games is what we were doing.

[dandelion]

God go with our fighting men; guide their hands, that their aim be true - guide their minds, that justice be served -

Guide their hearts, that they go with You.

[SaxxonWoods]

I offer this prayer, my copy was given to me by Gen Patton's granddaughter. It was given to Patton's men, including my father, during the German campaign in WWII. My father still carries his original in his wallet.

"Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of They great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we've had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies, and establish Thy justice among men and nations. Amen."

We pray for their safety and their victory.

[Cold Heat]

Only 60 left eh.....

That's damn good news. They likely went to Baghdad to check into the paradise hotel.

If they leave there, most of the places they can go are being set up as mouse traps.

[Patriot Hooligan]

"Grab 'em by the nose and kick 'em in the ass" - General George Patton

[ichabod1]

I don't understand that. If a TOW missile or a small bomb per house is too expensive, use blockbusters. Why do we have to do door-to-door fighting? It's a waste of our most precious commodity.

[Patriot Hooligan]

"Aviation cannot take prisoners nor hold ground." General George S. Patton

[Domicile of Doom]

"Aviation cannot take prisoners nor hold ground." General George S. Patton"

Aviation leaves no prisoners, and very little ground to do anything with. Me.

[shove_it]

Exactly. The ones lucky enough to be captured alive should be sent into those houses to dissarm the booby traps. BLOOEY! Oops, sorry 'bout that.

[Thombo2]

Wonder if they'd get their ticket punched by Allah and the complimentary 72 virgins?On second thought...who cares?Seriously,booby traps etc must be a big problem there.I read soldiers were requesting silly string to shoot into rooms.The silly string gets hung up on unseen trip wires.American ingenuity at work.

[ichabod1]

That doesn't answer my question. I didn't say we need to get rid of troops. I suggested we should flatten buildings instead of sending human beings into them to be ambushed.