Wary of Iraqi tactics, Marines open fire on bus along highway

Knight Ridder Newspapers ^ | March 27, 2003 | Patrick Peterson, Drew Brown and Steve Thomma

[HAL9000]

By Thursday morning, the 4th was 30 miles south of al Kut, where a division of the elite Republican Guard is reportedly waiting.

This will be a critical battle for the bridge over the Tigris River.

[Wormwood]

Other Marine elements south of Al Kut also had to deal with harassing fire and attempted suicide attacks. In one incident also on Highway 7 south of al Kut, two vehicles carrying propane tanks rushed the Marines in what Marines suspected might be a suicide attack. Marines stopped the two trucks, one an 18-wheeler and one a flatbed. The drivers emerged firing pistols and were killed.

Displaying the bravery and strategic thinking that has enabled the Muslim warrior to win crucial victories against nightclubs and busloads of schoolchildren.

[Fabozz]

"The Marines opened fire from machine guns mounted on their Humvees, badly damaging the bus and killing 20 of the 22 Iraqis inside. The Iraqis wore makeshift uniforms and had two pistols between them... [T]he 4th Amphibious Assault Battalion... has done a lot of firing on the road to al Kut, but met little organized resistance... All day and night... puppies whimpered... "

You just gotta love the media. When our troops encounter soldiers who fight back, our war plans have gone disastrously awry and we're stuck in a quagmire. When our troops encounter soldiers who don't fight back, we're trigger-happy Rambos pillaging the countryside and terrifying children and puppies. Gosh, it's almost as though the media don't want us to be fighting this war at all.

[goldstategop]

We've warned civilians to stay home. Any one driving on the roads will be pigeon clay. No way no how do we intend for terrorists or homocide bombers to strike at our troops first.

[Howlin]

I'm not familiar with the geography of Iraq, but I have seen many reports about Iraqis in Jordan and Syria returning to fight for Iraq.

This seems like a good move to me; trust none of them

The Iraqis wore makeshift uniforms and had two pistols between them.

Clue.

[BushMeister]

an unlucky bus

Huh? How is it an "unlucky bus"? They were rushing at the Marines in a war zone! After all the Marines have been through, I don't blame them, especially if the Iraqis were wearing "makeshift uniforms".

[Professional]

...badly damaging the bus and killing 20 of the 22 Iraqis inside.

Kinda sad, about the bus, being damaged and all. Badly damaged bus......... I love this reporter.... ha ha ha.

[Rasputin_TheMadMonk]

"terrorists or homocide bombers"

Homo-cide bombers? The cross dressing division of Hamas?

I always knew there was something wrong wrong with Arafat(besides the fact he's still breathing), always kissing on men.

The only tactic that works when faced with unknown terrain and hidden combatants is called recon by fire. Shoot first and to hell with the questions. I just pray that none of our men are lost because someone in the chain of command decided iraqi lives are worth more than the lives of our soldiers.

[Tall_Texan]

The support group found its refuge by moving two families of nomads off their land.

Excuse me? They're nomads! How can it be "their land"?? Either they are squatters who don't own squat or they are freaking tourists. Lovely vouchers, though. Hope they get the t-shirts...

[Professional]

C'mon, read it again. The reporter is comparing the death of 20 people and a damaged bus. Obviously, he doesn't really care too dang much about the dead folks when he talks about how unlucky the "bus" was and how "damaged" it was. Dang, I'm just cracking up about this poor little ole unlucky damaged bus!

[Tall_Texan]

Gosh, it's almost as though the media don't want us to be fighting this war at all.

To the reporters, it's not just a war. It's class struggle. Rich Americans versus poor unlucky nomads and buses.

[Lancey Howard]

Wary of Iraqi tactics, Marines open fire on bus along highway

Now, THAT'S the Corps I know and love.

Semper fidelis,
LH

[Ichneumon]

Displaying the bravery and strategic thinking that has enabled the Muslim warrior to win crucial victories against nightclubs and busloads of schoolchildren.

That gets my vote for Quote of the Day.

[Fabozz]

"Dang, I'm just cracking up about this poor little ole unlucky damaged bus!"

Come on, the bus charged the Marines. With that kind of aggressive behavior, it obviously has some SUV in its ancestry—it got what was coming to it. Worry about the puppies, man, the puppies!

[Professional]

The bus is collateral damage in an unfortunate war. I hope to hear a glorious repair story some day about this poor "unlucky" bus. May its damage be minor and its future travels be at the hands of better drivers and more welcoming fellow passengers along highway 7!

The puppies would have grown up to be RG attack dogs anyway, let them rot.

[xm177e2]

When our troops encounter soldiers who fight back, our war plans have gone disastrously awry and we're stuck in a quagmire. When our troops encounter soldiers who don't fight back, we're trigger-happy Rambos pillaging the countryside and terrifying children and puppies.

The fact that there are even enemy soldiers in the first place means we've already lost. In a world of peace and justice, things would be different. </sarcasm>

[xm177e2]

Collateral damage? It was carrying uniformed soldiers, it was fair game.

[xm177e2]

The Iraqis wore makeshift uniforms

What kind of uniforms? Makeshift American-like uniforms? If they were in the Saddamite army, they would have official uniforms on, they wouldn't need makeshift ones... right?

[Professional]

Whatever! As if the bus had any say at all who was going to come along for the ride. Discrimination by busses went by the wayside with the whole Rhosetta Parkabdullah lawsuit years ago in Iraq.

[Professional]

...would have official uniforms on,...

Made in China, just like ours...