Posted on 04/08/2003 4:56:29 AM PDT by kattracks
Iraqis Launch Counterattack in Baghdad
By CHRIS TOMLINSON and HAMZA HENDAWI .c The Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqi forces staged a major counterattack Tuesday morning, sending buses and trucks full of fighters across the Tigris River in an attempt to overrun U.S. forces holding a strategic intersection on the western side of Baghdad.
At least 50 Iraqi fighters were killed, said Capt. Philip Wolford of Marysville, Ohio, a company commander with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division. Two U.S. soldiers were reported wounded, one seriously, by snipers on rooftops.
U.S. troops strafed the Iraqis from A-10 Warthog attack planes and opened up with artillery and mortar fire. About an hour after the firefight began, Wolford moved his tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles forward again and retook the intersection.
Wolford's unit then began pursuing the remaining Iraqi defenders.
U.S. tank-borne forces stormed into central Baghdad on Monday, seizing a presidential palace on the west bank of the Tigris and turning it into a base of operations.
Col. David Perkins of the 3rd Infantry Division said about 500 Iraqi forces took part in the counterattack. They were a combination of special Republican Guard, Fedayeen and Baath Party loyalists - ``a lot of civilian-dressed fighters,'' he said.
In the past two days, the Army has seen few Iraqis give up. Many have fought to the death, which seems to indicate these are hard-core loyalists.
Iraqi fighters also appeared to be probing U.S. defenses in other areas, with short exchanges of fire in other areas.
``We are continuing to maintain our ability to conduct operations around and in Baghdad. As regime forces are located, they are being attacked,'' said Navy Capt. Frank Thorp, a U.S. Central Command spokesman. ``We are continuing to expand areas of influence in the city, and removing them from regime control.''
A Reuters cameraman was killed and at least four other journalists were injured Tuesday when their hotel in central Baghdad was fired on, apparently by a U.S. tank. The Americans said they were retaliating against snipers shooting at them from the roof of the Palestine Hotel, where many foreign reporters covering the war are staying.
Also, the Arab TV network Al-Jazeera reported that a U.S. plane attacked its office on the banks of the Tigris River, killing a reporter.
Explosions, the thud of shells landing, anti-aircraft and machine-gun fire and the drone of aircraft filled the air in Baghdad at midmorning Tuesday.
For the first time since the war began, residents of the capital could see, rather than just hear, allied aircraft. A lone fighter jet flew over Baghdad, swerving, diving and, at times, causing a boom that rocked the city.
State television went off the air around mid-morning. Many residents were hunkered down in their homes. But some civilians seemed to casually go about their business with a Kalashnikov in hand.
Traffic built up toward the north of the city and thousands of people continued to flee Baghdad to the relative safety of the north and northeast. They fled in all sorts of vehicles - buses, trucks, minibuses and pickup trucks - and took food, clothes, mattresses, blankets and kitchen utensils. Some cars sagged under the weight. Others were so battered they broke down on the road, worsening the already bumper-to-bumper congestion.
Long lines formed at gas stations. Some ran out of gas and closed; others were taken over by the military.
Uncollected garbage piled up in some sections of the city.
The counterattack began shortly after dawn, when more than 20 buses and trucks dropped off dozens of Iraqi foot soldiers firing assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades at U.S. tanks blocking an intersection leading to a bridge over the Tigris, Wolford said.
Two A-10s strafed the building tops and the street with 30mm rapid-fire cannon that reverberated across the city. Wolford asked if the jets could also hit bunkers built in a city park.
``If they can hit that bunker complex. we'll be set to go back in,'' Wolford told a flight controller, who was directing the pilots.
``Two ships are coming in hot,'' Capt. Todd Smith, the controller, replied. ``How are they are working for you?''
``They're a beautiful thing,'' Wolford said, after two strafing runs.
The A-10s had to leave to refuel, but soon British Tornado fighter jets were overhead with precision-guided bombs. Wolford called for those to hit the buildings occupied by snipers.
Around daybreak, troops with the Army's 101st Airborne Division launched an attack on an eight-story former Republican Guard headquarters about half a mile from the airport. Two Iraqis were reported killed in the gun battle. There were no U.S. casualties.
The Army had come under fire from fighters in the building in previous days.
04/08/03 07:45 EDT
That gives the air force the chance to save money by "Reloading" the casings.
"I just hope that it will be made explicit for the general public and remembered by it. In contrast to Vietnam, we have nowhere to retreat. They came here, and it is now our own homes and families that are in danger."
IMO, most Americans still get this pretty clearly, even if Hollywood and the liberals don't. However, I figure that the hard core leftists do understand it and have cynically aligned themselves with radical Islam merely because they see it as destructive to America.
I guess the anti Semitism of the Left has been apparent for a long time, I first noticed it 34 years ago, when I was in college. But I am still shocked at how suddenly it has come out in the open worldwide, and especially in academia.
"Will you walk into my parlor?" said the spider to the fly;
"'Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy."
Did Toyota violate the sanctions and supply weapons in the form of the technicals used as military vehicles?
Are the vehicle vendors less to blame than the Russians supplying rockets?
I agree with you. Imagine how it looks to them. Fox News is ruling cable news. Rush Limbaugh rules the radio. GWB fighting the war on terror, flags everywhere...control of the House and a growing majority in the Senate--one more victorious election cycle and whammo!--it has to be a terribly disappointing time for libs. I just don't believe upcoming generations will go for great society type programs.
Iraqi forces staged a major counterattack Tuesday morning!
...At least 50 Iraqi fighters were killed...
Good grief, the media should learn to call a spade a spade. Iraqi soldiers (even that is too strong a word) made a feeble attempt to fight and got their collective asses handed back to them. End of story, next subject please.
Now then comes W and challenges the well established no war principal, and not only that, he has the support of the vast majority of Americans.
The fundamental leftist belief that the concept of war had been for evermore eliminated is in jepordy. the peace will reign concept is no longer ascendant. Leftist Values are challenged and pulled down. Peace is not the answer.
Only I think the Left only wanted America to be bound by such anti war dogma. My belief is that violence is always a major component of the Left's bag of tricks.
I don't at all consider the "anti war" Left to be truly anti war.
While I agree that there has been a huge shift in the “mood” of America, I think there is work to be done in defining what we truly stand for. We know what we are not, just look at: anti-war protesters, France, Germany, the UN, Canada, Iraq, Saddam, the Taliban and Democrats and it is clear the majority of Americans want nothing to do with these guys.
A new dawn has arrived, the 4th turning has begun, the next 12 -24 months will define where we go as a nation. The battle for the “great middle” has begun. It is a battle of ideas, we are well positioned to win, but do not count the socialist/Democrats out, they do not give up easily.
I am fairly sure that they would rationalize any war in which America migh loose. As long as they can dismantle the institutions that made this country great --- they'll welcome anything towards that end.
You are absolutely correct. In my opinion the main danger lies in the framing of the problem as a political one. It is not. We witness a two-century-long retreat of religion and Judeo-Christian values. It is because this vacuum exists that we fight battles with the Left. In that regard, the other side has already one most of Western civilization. The real reason for the conflict between us and Euroepans is that Christianity is almost entirely gone from the continent, whereas this country is still fighting that battle; at least a large portion of the country is still Christian.
In order to see that the Left is wrong one has to be able to differentiate right from wrong. What is the source of knowledge for that? I could not find any but the Judeo-Christian foundation on which this country was built and the Christian roots of its history.
There real battle lies therefore in "plugging up" this spiritual vacuum.
It is an ebb and flow, it seems to me. We went from Ronald Reagan to x42 in 4 years time. However, Reagan left behind a strong political legacy--I truly believe we owe our Congressional majority to him. Would we have had all those young turks in the House without Ronald Reagan? I don't think so.
x42 has left a legacy, but it won't be the kind that helps their party. GWB has restored honor to the White House. This is a good time for conservatism. We will win some victories. 9-11 determined our priorities. I wonder what we will be able to accomplish in several key domestic areas: the courts, the failed entitlement programs (SS, Medicare), and tax policy.
More to the point, I think that the left has been in a low grade war with us for a long time now.
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