Heavy Fighting in AR Ramadi Iraq~~~ Sadr's fighters have attacked US Forces.

Fox News

[Dog]

Just broke on Fox

[kcvl]

HEAVY FIGHTING IN IRAQ

Up to 130 soldiers have been killed in fierce fighting in Iraq, according to unconfirmed reports.


The large scale battle, described as "intense", has taken place in the town of Ar Ramadi, 20 miles west of Fallujah.


Sky News' David Chater said: "None of this is official yet - none of it is confirmed."

But he added: "It sounds very much like this is being carried out by men who are militarily trained."

Chater described the attack as "highly sophisticated".

Meanwhile, Tony Blair has announced he will fly to Washington to meet George Bush on April 16 to discuss the worsening situation.

Iraqi radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has vowed to continue a Shi'ite uprising until the forces answer his demands.

It has forced Mr Bush to consider sending more troops in an attempt to deal with, what is in effect, an attempted coup.

The cleric's aide said the Coalition must withdraw troops from populated areas, such as Baghdad and Fallujah, and release prisoners.

The demands are in addition to the original call for al-Sadr's extremist newspaper to be reopened after the coalition shut it down.

Al-Sadr's militiamen have opened up three fronts across the country, targeting coalition forces and causing casualties in American, British and Italian held areas.

Sky's David Chater in Baghdad said: "They (the militias) have shown their military might and their demands are growing."

Al-Sadr is believed to have gone underground in an attempt to keep his armed opposition going.

Dozens have died in the past two days in an apparent grab at the Shi'ite leadership by the young cleric.

Latest figures reveal the death of four US troops in an operation west of Baghdad in the province of al-Anbar on Monday.

At least 39 Iraqis have been killed and 126 others wounded in clashes between al-Sadr's militiamen and US soldiers in the past 48 hours, a hospital chief said.

An additional 12 Iraqis died and 27 others were wounded in separate fighting with British troops in the southeastern city of Amara during the same period.


While 500 Italian soldiers, serving in the southern town of Nassiriya, were caught in an hour-long gun battle today which left 15 civilians dead. Eleven of the Italians were injured, but not seriously.

Spanish troops tried to quell a revolt in their area, but were pushed back and they returned to their barracks.

But the British have agreed a deal with al-Sadr's militiamen to re-take the governor's office in Basra, one of the incidents which sparked the current crisis.

The situation is not so encouraging in the north of the country where hundreds of US and Iraqi troops have surrounded the city of Fallujah where earlier a mob killed four Americans and mutilated their bodies.


US Apache helicopters sprayed fire on the private army of the radical cleric during fierce battles in a Baghdad district.


Last Updated: 21:38 UK, Tuesday April 06, 2004

[RoseofTexas]

Siren on at Drudge!! Marines were AMBUSHED!!

[ride the whirlwind]

...this is a war and the enemy must be exterminated.

May this be this particular enemy's last hurrah!

[iconoclast]

Drudge needs to stick to hollywierd reporting.

NUKE the messenger! (/sarcasm)

[TomGuy]

Freakin' Franken is on CNN giving his level of expertise on military matters. "Quagmire! Quagmire!"

[Polybius]

CNN: The ATTACKERS in AR Ramadi ARE NOT SADR'S FOLLOWERS...

It seems that the anti-coalition elements have decided to all attack at once instead of having the U.S. engage and defeat them in detail.

So be it.

One of our major enemies is the liberal press and the Democrats who thrive on turning small operations into quagmires. We may as well mount a major, all out assault against all dead enders be they Baathist, Sunni or Shiite and get the job done.

Iraq was never going to be stable until the fanatics were killed. Here is our opportunity to achieve stability.

[kcvl]

Al Franken on CNN saying that we are in a QUIGMIRE! Gloating JERK!

[boxerblues]

Up to 130 soldiers but it does not say US Soldiers

[bcoffey]

Siren on at Drudge!! Marines were AMBUSHED!!

Check the article itself, and you will see the word "ambushed" isn't even used. Drudge likes to sex-up his headlines.

[BushMeister]

"Chicken" is a meaningless comment directed to someone tying on a keyboard.

This is a bad day, and could become much worse, and bring much much worse in the days to come. We are all concerned and heartsick about what is going on in Iraq today. Calling people "chicken" doesn't solve or prove anything.

If we get into a position of taking 50 KIA and 250 wounded a week for months, do you think that would present a problem militarily or politically? That's quite possible in a general uprising.

***Is it possible, as Leventhal just said on FOX, that the attackers saw a bunch of Marines leaving the base at Ramadi (possibly to support the Fallujah operation), and decided to attack the lightly-defended outpost?

[Dog]

Listen to me ......everyone take a deep breath.

Come on....... hang together...... we got thru 9/11 as a group....our guys are giving it...... as well as they are getting.

[Eurotwit]

I saw they reported that on their broadcast half an hour ago... David Chater said it was reported of Fox news.

I thought of posting it, but sinec he said it already was reported on Fox, and didn't see anything on this thread, i thought they mixed it up.

I hope and pray it is total KIA.

Chater refered to Pentagon source who talked to Fox.

Then again. I think Chater said at the beginning of his report, 130 US Soldiers...

[Pukin Dog]

Shame on Drudge. The article he links does not say AMBUSHED.

[jimbo123]

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1130577,00.html

A Pentagon source has said up to 130 US troops have been killed in fierce fighting in Iraq.

[kjam22]

We are in a quagmire until we decide to rain in enough bombs to level large parts of those cities.

[Dog]

Calm down...

[RobRoy]

Group hug...

[RightWingMama]

Lots of young Iraqi wives (married with no say-so to 30 year old jihad jerks) will secretly thank us for offing the creeps.

Interesting thought. I often wonder about the Iraqi moms when I see pictures of 10 year old kids with guns or laughing at burned, mutilated bodies. Their hearts must break.

[VxH]

>>Are these people reasonable, or stupid?

How about "Brainwashed and fanatical"?

The Khmer-Rouge keep coming to mind.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Khmer-Rouge

[boxerblues]

Fox news just reported 12 in Ramli (sp) 2 Baghdad , 2-3 elsewhere