Posted on 11/08/2004 8:39:55 AM PST by epluribus_2
NEAR FALLUJAH, Iraq - More than 4,000 U.S. Marines and Army troops punched their way into northeastern Fallujah on Monday, kicking off a massive assault dubbed Operation Phantom Fury that seeks to put an end to half a year of insurgent control of the Sunni Muslim city.
The prelude to the assault on the Askari neighborhood was a crushing air and artillery bombardment of the city that rose to a crescendo by Monday evening, with U.S. strike jets dropping bombs around the clock and big guns pounding the city every few minutes with high-explosive shells.
Meanwhile, insurgents in Baghdad and nearby Ramadi tried to keep up the pressure on the coalition forces with new attacks, including one on a Catholic church in the capital.
Earlier Monday U.S. troops had fought their way into the city's western outskirts, seizing two bridges over the Euphrates River and helping Iraqi soldiers take the city's main hospital in the first stage of a major assault on the insurgent stronghold.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
"Fallujah's population had dropped to 50,000 or 60,000 from 350,000 because many families had fled their homes seeking safe shelter."
Undoubtedly, some of the decline is due to refugee losses. But something tells me we getting some too. Most of the headless corpses have been found on the western Baghdad outskirts.
Also, the post to the effect that the M1 was designed for speed over comfort, while correct, could be taken to minimize the effectiveness of Chobham Type II layered composite armor, an outcome likely not intended by the original author.
Looks to me like the artillery 'shrooms either ascended under low lapse rate conditions, an inversion, light variable surface winds, or a combination thereof. Interesting image, but the laws of physics don't appear to have been suspended.
BTW, lol @ "is/was".
That is disturbing news, but I am not surprised.
You are about 1500 years late and an empire or two off.
CNN embedded reporter with an US Army unit is claiming whole city streets are wired as booby traps.
Mark.
SOP is to enter buildings via mouseholes constructed using grenades or fire, or other unconventional entry under MOUT conditions.
Sit Room reporting for duty...oh, wait...somebody ruined that line for all time.
Guess I'll just have to say "Let's Roll"!
I haven't been home to catch up on all this. Will just follow along with you "embed" Freepers for a while.
Greg Palkot on Fox is talking about the "eerie" minaret calls. Ya think they're killin' cats again?
We told them we were comin' so they had time to prepare. I have no doubt the troops are dealing with them (I am doing my part by praying like crazy).
I can't listen or watch to CNN anymore....I can't figure out whose side they are on.
Thanks for the info!
Unfortunately I can...
No figuring to it. They practically announce their opposition to U.S. military action, regardless of the mission.
But I shouldn't be so quick on the trigger since I really haven't watched their coverage today.
(Heaven forbid some captured scum gets a widdle bobo, though).
Hi Timeout.. wouldn't it be nice if it went as smoothly as the march on Baghdad? Remember how anxious it all was for days on the VERY long threads?
Imagine a reporter with the Nazi's as we storm the D-Day beaches.
Wow!
Don't watch CNN. It will make you spit nails...and they are notorious for editing out anything pro-american in replays of live coverage.
(We really need to come up with a better name than "Red Staters")
I'm so nervous, I need that pic of "cigar man" heading into Baghdad. LOL
Hey, Nick! Hope you're lurkin'.
I'm thinking it was named after the Fantom Fury - a vacuum cleaner, as in cleaning up the city...
The Fantom Fury
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