Posted on 03/20/2016 3:29:46 PM PDT by Kaslin
A detachment from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit has set up a secret firebase in northern Iraq to support operations of the US and coalition forces fighting ISIS.
Yesterday, ISIS targeted the firebase, firing two rockets, one of which landed inside the base killing one Marine and wounding several others.
Initially, the Pentagon claimed that the Marine, Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin, of Temecula, California was killed by "indirect fire" from ISIS. But it seems clear that ISIS saw the Marines moving into the firebase and fired directly into the base.
The existence of a combat unit in Iraq that could be targeted by ISIS was unknown until the rocket attack. The Pentagon claims they were going to announce the existence of the base sometime this week.
The Pentagon has yet to formally acknowledge it has established its first U.S. fire base in Iraq in the current fight against ISIS for what the official said will eventually be a limited ground combat operation in support of the Iraqis.
The Marines will be using their field artillery guns in the coming weeks to help defend Iraqi troops as they move towards Mosul. For now, the artillery is to defend another nearby base where American troops are getting 5,000 Iraqi forces ready for the operation to retake Mosul.
The Marines first began moving into the area just two weeks ago from their own base of operations aboard an amphibious assault ship the USS Kearsarge, the defense official told CNN.
The Marines had finished setting up and testing their artillery just two or three days before the attack. There was a brief mention of a coalition fire base in a statement Saturday announcing the death of the Marine, but the official said the only troops there are American Marines and no other coalition forces.
On Sunday, the coalition announced that in consultation with the government of Iraq, the U.S. "has assigned a detachment of U.S. Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the support of Iraqi Security Force and Coalition ground operations. The detachment from the 26th MEU will add to the Marines and Sailors currently in Iraq" supporting the effort against ISIS.
The Marines have already named the location "Fire Base Bell." The U.S has similar artillery at two other large Iraqi bases, but Bell is the only known fire base. That terminology signifies this is a small remote location designed to use its artillery to support infantry troops at forward locations.
Why the secrecy? Probably because President Obama had assured the American people many times previously that there would be no combat troops deployed to Iraq.
Washington Post: (10/30/15)
The White House is announcing Friday that a small number of special forces will be put on the ground in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria -- a new strategy that pretty clearly contradicts past Obama and administration statements that U.S. forces would not be put on the ground there. As the United States got drawn into the fight against the Islamic State earlier this year, the White House repeatedly emphasized this point -- a move to assure the nation that we wouldn't be drawn into a new war like Iraq or Afghanistan.
Asked Friday about the incongruence of Obama's past comments and putting these boots on the ground, White House press secretary Josh Earnest repeatedly emphasized that these are not combat troops -- a distinction that many disagree with, we would note -- and suggested promises to not put boots on the ground were being taken "out of context."
“You’ve read one quote that, to be fair, is out of context," he said when NBC's Kristen Welker pointed to Obama saying in 2013 there would be no U.S. boots on the ground.
But Obama has actually said no boots on the ground repeatedly in 2013, before adjusting his language slightly -- but notably -- in 2014.
Of course, this puts a great big bullseye on the backs of those Marines, billeting them out in the middle of nowhere, making them highly vulnerable to ISIS artillery and rocket attacks.
Is this a way for the president to test the waters regarding a much larger intervention in Iraq? The logic of the situation demands that if Firebase Bell is attacked and we have a significant loss of life, more combat troops will be needed to protect them - and the cycle of escalation begins.
It's one thing to have special operators assisting the Iraqis with training, lasing targets for US warplanes, or assassinating high value ISIS targets.
But Marines are lethal weapons. They are there to kill ISIS fighters and the fact that we are using one of our crack Marine outfits as part of this deployment changes the character of our intervention in Iraq.
Sounds like the secret base isn’t so secret to the guys shooting at it. That’s the problem with an Obama pussified response.
Sad. Freakin’ heartbreaking. There should be no secret base. There should only be loud and frightening Marine bases.
When will America ever unleash a no holds barred, non sneaky-pete, right up your wazzoo, division sized attack?
That is what made the world fear us.... Back then.
It is now Firebase Hell. They need more help to move the enemy further away.
It’s not a secret to ISIS, but to the American Public.
More of those Not-Boots-On-The-Ground boots on the ground.
That’s a fact. This secret crap is good for some rare things. But too frequently today it is used because the wusses in charge like to see what they can do without anyone knowing.
If this government invaded Saipan today, they would halo in at night, set up a secret comm base, and target Jap antennae with some sort of jamming. The operation would continue for 14 years.
Not secret any more.
No more soldiers deaths to the nwo
It appears that the author of this piece doesn’t know the difference between direct and indirect fire.
My thoughts and prayers for his family.
"My NCAA Bracket
is more important.
Death to America!"
Edward Teller please pick up the white courtesy phone.
who did OBAMA notify of the location of the firebase FIRST
the marines
isis
.......
That is what I thought when I read the headline. If rockets are hitting your base, the cat is out of the bag on that one.
Jerk leadership doesn’t try to win, but they don’t mind a human sacrifice to their lawlessness on a regular basis. I despise these people. .
Marines need the enemy within range unless Obama’s ROE’s have em castrated.....
Turn these devil dog Marines loose , no leash...... let em do what they do best .
Can’t wait till Obama is friggin GONE !
I noticed that. They need an editor, or fact checker, or something.
The only military experience he has is probably protesting ROTC at his commie college.
A brain.
If you had clicked on the "indirect fire" link you would have seen that it was from ABC and they used the term indirect
Active Duty ping.
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