Posted on 03/28/2008 10:39:13 PM PDT by Red Steel
US forces stepped deeper into the Iraqi government's fight to cripple Shiite militias.
It has launched air strikes in the southern city of Basra and firing a Hellfire missile in the main Shiite stronghold in Baghdad. .
The American support occurred Friday as Iraqi troops struggled against strong resistance in Basra and retaliation elsewhere in Shiite areas - including more salvos of rockets or mortars into the US-protected Green Zone in Baghdad.
It was the first time American jets have been called to attack militia positions since Iraqi ground forces launched an operation Tuesday to clear Basra of the armed groups that have effectively ruled the streets of the country's second-largest city for nearly three years.
One militia barrage slammed into the headquarters of the Basra police command late Friday, triggering a huge fire and explosions when one of the rounds struck a gasoline tanker, police officials said.
Earlier Friday, US jets struck a building housing militia fighters and blasted a mortar team that was firing on Iraqi forces, British military spokesman Maj Tim Holloway said without further details.
Many of those groups are believed to receive weapons, money and training from nearby Iran, the world's most populous Shiite nation.
The crackdown in Basra has provoked a violent reaction - especially from the Mahdi Army of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. His followers accuse rival Shiite parties in the government of trying to crush their movement before provincial elections this fall.
Fire for effect, I repeat, fire for effect...
Gee I hope they used A-10s.....
http://justbarkingmad.com/?p=2690
Cracking Down on al Sadr
I just got this e-mail from a friend of mine who is currently on a Military Transition Team (MiTT) in Iraq. He wanted some of the folks back home to know what is really going on over there.
Posted with his permission of course:
All,
I hope and pray that all of you are fine….and i know that some/most of you are thinking the same of me or those who you know are over here. I just wanted to write a blanket e-mail to get the word out how i am and what’s happened in the last 24 hours.
Most of you (i’m sure) have heard either through the news or from your work about the tensions over here with al Sadr and his miitia….and it’s very serious. What’s happening in Basra is very serious and what’s great about it is that the Government of Iraq is standing up to him and showing that they will fight to preserve the gains they have made in the last year.
I think now that Sadr knows that the ISF (Iraqi Security Forces [Army, National Police and Iraqi Police]) are not going to lay down their weapons and will take the fight to them, both Sadr’s militia (JAM) and AQI, and aren’t afraid to. I witnessed this yesterday as we (my MiTT) headed into sector with our Iraqi counterparts to command and control their sector of Baghdad.
We immediately came into a firefight and this lasted for the better part of 8 hours (off and on again). I will say that the Iraqi Army is not scared to take the fight to the enemy and they showed that yesterday. At the same time I was very impressed with my own soldiers as they had to engage this same enemy and did so with lethality.
None of our soldiers were injured but there were casualties (civilian and military) but this is to be expected….as well as unfortuanate.
This is by far not over. Today is supposed to be the “Battle”, as yesterday was designated as the “Revolution” by Sadr loyalists. So we are prepared to again engage and defeat these extremists who set out to bring down a government that is trying to establish law and order.
Right now they are aimed at bringing down the ISF but when they realize that won’t work then we are afraid they will again start targeting Coalition Forces (US) to bring us into the fight and cause more animosity towards the “infidels.” And this is exactly what they want…..to show pictures of civilian women and children who have been killed and blame this on the U.S. forces.
I will say that the tough days are yet to come. al Maliki (Iraqi Prime Minister) is standing his ground and this is EXACTLY what this country needs (legitamacy)….and we are right there with him. If Sadr lifts the cease-fire then the fight will significantly change and it will be again all-out fighting. Please pray for those who are here and that calmer heads prevail.
I am sending this out just to keep you informed because what you read in the newspapers and see on T.V. isn’t always the ground truth……where i was yesterday was ground truth!!! Our soldiers are doing great things over here and hopefully that is what WE are saying about them back home.
Please don’t be afraid to share what i’ve written with others if you feel the need. Nothing here is classified…..only the truth. Thanks for your continued prayers and i will do my best to continue to stay in touch (as time allows) with you all.
Let’s keep not forget about our people in uniform—and our Iraqi allies—as they root out al Sadr and his little band of criminals.
There will be some tough days ahead.
Marcus
~~~~~
Mookie and his Iranian thug conspirators need to be so gone.
Allegra .. thinking of you all ... be safe.
Dear Lord, please protect our brave soldiers and the
Iraqis who are fighting these beasts.
Do they really need to make a hellfire launching sound like we unloaded a tactical nuke?
Thanks for the ping SW.
Thanks for that, STARWISE. It was pretty clear from the outset that this is a very important moment in the history of this country.
And I just knew we would get the “It’s all falling apart” reports from our media, but it’s not. The Iraqia are fighting these thugs along with us. I think we will win this one and it will be huge.
If Gordon Brown doesn’t let his fighters out of their compound at the airport, I will wish excrement on him eternally.
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