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2003-11-30 Iraq
U.S. Forces Kill 46 Iraqis During Ambush
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Posted by snellenr 2003-11-30 4:10:13 PM|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [11133 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 Sounds like they might have been tipped off early about this 'ambush' and turned the tables. Money Talks , as they say. Appears that $87 billion is being put to good use buying info.

These guys are trying to ambush patrols in platoon strength, 50+ mutts lying in wait? I'd be interested to find out how many were ex-iraqi 'soldiers'. Must be some of the Ee-lite Republican Guards who enjoy dying for saddam so much. I'm sure the 4th is glad to oblige them.
Posted by Anonymous 2003-11-30 4:26:21 PM||   2003-11-30 4:26:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 How's this for a headline from al-Reuters:

"U.S. Forces Say Kill 46 Iraqis Trying to Ambush Them"

I guess the fact that we KILLED ALL 46 is just a minor detail.

p.s.

Why the hell isn't Drudge all over this story? He's got an alert siren at the top of his page about Roy Disney retiring. Who the hell is Roy Disney and why should I care?
Posted by g wiz 2003-11-30 4:50:07 PM||   2003-11-30 4:50:07 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 OMG, this one really takes the cake from the BBC:

"US 'kills dozens' in Iraqi city"
Posted by g wiz 2003-11-30 4:52:07 PM||   2003-11-30 4:52:07 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Hmmmm, the convoy was transporting a rather large sum of money. Think the baathist/fedayeen are just showing their true stripes as nothing more but bandits? Apparently carrying new iraqi notes. Sounds like an inside job, maybe?
Posted by Anonymous 2003-11-30 4:54:26 PM||   2003-11-30 4:54:26 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 You know that it is hard to maintain objectivity when it comes to our forces (our meaning the US and its allies) and the propaganda headlines put out by the mainstream press. They are not as bad as Baghdad Bob (a truly class act, heh heh), but their constant spin is going to attrit them as we are doing to the Iraqi and foreign hardcases in Iraq. Bush maintains the focus and with patience and perserverence we will prevail. And there are alot of jihadis that are never heard from again after they left for Iraq. Spin that one, Rooters.
Posted by Alaska Paul 2003-11-30 5:00:37 PM||   2003-11-30 5:00:37 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 There should be more success stories like this. Forgive me but until now it seemed Americans were just easy targets. Learn the lessons that the Russians did in Chechnya! I bet you one of the would-be-ambushers was filming the whole thing, as they do in Chechnya. Unleash hell on these mutts!!!
Posted by Rafael 2003-11-30 5:16:58 PM||   2003-11-30 5:16:58 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Why the hell isn't Drudge all over this story?

Drudge would rather be on the E! channel than on a news network.

From what's being reported, sounds like the mutts tried to pull some diversionary ambushes at the same time as this one. It sounds more and more like a failed attempt to steal the iraqi dinars the convoy was carrying. That means, of course, that they had to know when and where and what convoy was going to be doing the transport. Incredible that they thought they could pull it off with 50 guys armed with small arms. I guess they've been reading the American press reports about how soft and vulnerable our troops were, nothing but sitting ducks that a few dozen thugs could have their way with. They got a little hell unleashed, alright. High explosive and full metal jacket type, right on their heads.
Posted by 4thInfVet 2003-11-30 5:23:04 PM||   2003-11-30 5:23:04 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Anonymous __ as far as who, the CNN news article on it. says some of the attackers were waring the black uniforms worn by Saddamn's Fedayeen
Posted by Mercutio 2003-11-30 5:35:47 PM||   2003-11-30 5:35:47 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 Alaska Paul: I don't know what headlines you were reading, but the report I just watched on Fox was pure anxious hand-wringing, fretting, and bullshit speculation by armchair generals pontificating on the "meaning" of the fact that the vermin were wearing Fedayeen Saddam costumes.

I'm about ready to write off ALL television news, Fox included. Defeatist idiots, all.

Sheesh...
Posted by Dave D.  2003-11-30 5:38:14 PM||   2003-11-30 5:38:14 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Dave,

I was watching Fox about an hour ago and one of the talking heads they had on was a reporter for US News & World Report. They asked him of the significance of the event and he just started running down all of the Democrat talking points. The May 1st speech with the Mission Accomplished banner, the Thanksgiving "photo op" as a relection tactic, etc. Not a word about what actually happened TODAY. And the dimwit host didn't call him on his BS, just moved on to the next talking head. Sigh...
Posted by g wiz 2003-11-30 5:54:43 PM||   2003-11-30 5:54:43 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 Rafael:
I bet you one of the would-be-ambushers was filming the whole thing, as they do in Chechnya.

The Iraqi terrorists have attached French camera crews. The Chechen terrorists aren't popular enough, so they've had to field organic camera units.
Posted by Robert Crawford  2003-11-30 5:59:56 PM|| [http://www.kloognome.com]  2003-11-30 5:59:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 The fedayeen are stupid to attack the 4th ID when they are massed in any numbers at all. Those guys have the best command and control equipment and training in the Army. From the CNN report on tv a few minutes ago, it sounds like there were 2 simultaneous attacks on 2 convoys, both in Samarah, and the 4th responded with immediate and devastating firepower, including Abrams tanks and Bradleys. Several buildings sheltering the fedayeen were demolished into rubble with the attackers inside.
Posted by rkb  2003-11-30 6:32:16 PM||   2003-11-30 6:32:16 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 Is it likely that the cash cargo of the convoy was deliberately made known to the bad guys, so as to draw them in to be chewed up by M1s and Bradleys? I've been wondering since July whether we were using any guile in dealing with these problems. Several tactics come to mind -- drawing attention to a particular convoy, while back-up, helo, and UAV recon are ready to observe and engage. Other tactics also seem worth trying: contaminating weapons caches with trace-able substances and seeing whose hands/households test positive during spot checks; falsifying "resistance" leaflets to falsely raise expectations, threaten popular local figures, and otherwise discredit the bad guys. I just hope we're fully exploiting our many tools and being as devious in our counter-insurgency tactics as we are being flexible in our civil affairs approach.

As to media: Dave and gee whiz, can only echo your cry of anguish on how pathetic much TV coverage is, especially this problem of dimwit journalists (an astouningly high %, judging by what we see) not being challenged on their BS hosts.

Another public info note: today's body count is 46; that probably equals or exceeds the sum total of all bad-guy KIAs reported TO DATE in Iraq. Hasn't everyone noticed since the summer that accounts of attacks are telegraphic, just a few lines, # of US casualties, weapon used, location? Almost never any info on US forces' response, final score, etc. Nothing. I can literally only recall TWO other stories in 4 months of attacks that contained any info on US response and enemy losses.

Whatever's behind it -- intel strategy, V'Nam body count paranoia, whatever -- CENTCOM/CPA should have realized by now that the war is being covered/debated in a very distorted manner, and making enemy losses top secret abets distortion.

One last thing: has anyone else noticed that enemy "sophistication" has been "rising" since July, according to standard language in news reports? By now, the enemy should be flying stealth aircraft and using submarines against our forces, what with their "sophistication" growing relentlessly. Somehow, foolishly attacking an armored column with small arms and being vaporized, and steadily moving to attack non-military targets with car bombs, don't strike me as evidence of increasing "sophistication," but familiar incompetence and desperate adaptation.
Posted by IceCold 2003-11-30 6:35:20 PM||   2003-11-30 6:35:20 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 Hell, we should be spiking weapons caches with exploding ammo. Screw this 'fingerprint' noise, let them drop a round in their mortar and have it blow up, killing every dipshit terrorist standing there. If a few AKs blow some fingers off, or RPGs take off some heads, there'll be some 2nd thoughts about squeezing off some rounds at the Great Satan©.
Posted by 4thInfVet 2003-11-30 6:56:34 PM||   2003-11-30 6:56:34 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 IceCold: Yeah, I've noticed that new "rising sophistication" theme, too.

My greatest fear in this whole thing? That these media morons are going to talk us right into giving up the fight with their nonstop hand-wringing. And all because (a) they're ignorant about military matters, and (b) they can't resist the urge to fill their airtime with bullshit speculation.

At this point I'd almost prefer a total news blackout.
Posted by Dave D.  2003-11-30 7:12:52 PM||   2003-11-30 7:12:52 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 Jalai al-Feydayeen...for the sake of Allah (pbuh) how many times must I tell you? Attack only the SOFT targets! Have you learned nothing from our Palestinian brothers? If you strike targets that strike back then you endanger the success of the jihad. When you confront the enemy head on limit yourself to women, children, and the UN. The infidel is most vulnerable when his back is turned.
Posted by Mark  2003-11-30 7:19:13 PM||   2003-11-30 7:19:13 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 Heh.
Posted by rkb  2003-11-30 7:34:20 PM||   2003-11-30 7:34:20 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 #7 Dave D.---Re: #9 comment. The administration, centcom, etc., have to be more agressive in their propaganda war. It is sort of similar to the Republican's tepid responses to the Dems roasting on a spit the federal court nominees. They need to get mean and agressive, and especially contradict the press when they are distorted, misrepresenting facts, and spinning things to their agenda. The mainstream press is doing this because nobody calls them on it. They need some truth shoved up their collective asses.
Posted by Alaska Paul 2003-11-30 7:53:28 PM||   2003-11-30 7:53:28 PM|| Front Page Top

#19  The Iraqi terrorists have attached French camera crews.

How fitting.
Posted by g wiz 2003-11-30 8:08:36 PM||   2003-11-30 8:08:36 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 Check this out from Daily Kos. The angry leftoids are at it already:

"The truth is starting to come out, most of those 46 were innocent bystanders in buildings near to or on which the Feedayen were shooting from. Like the 12 and 15 year old sisters killed as terrorists."

and...

"The 4th ID - whatta surprise! I bet that a gross majority will end up being confirmed innocent bystanders, a 4th ID specialty."

The news of today's success has spoiled their thread gloating about the recent deaths of US allies.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2003/11/30/194147/55
Posted by Anonymous 2003-11-30 8:29:14 PM||   2003-11-30 8:29:14 PM|| Front Page Top

#21 Why not Fedyeen uniforms - think back to the drive to Bagdad all those short haircuts in civies and all those clothes by the side of the road.

For sale cheap " Spiffy black uniform - only dropped once"
Posted by Mercutio 2003-11-30 10:06:14 PM||   2003-11-30 10:06:14 PM|| Front Page Top

#22 I am beginning to suspect that the administration is once again deliberately playing down success, even in the face of apparently horrible headlines, so that when success finally emerges, all of its critics look like killjoys and bad losers in the bargain. This is just GWB setting up yet another ambush for his critics.

Note that I don't think the casualties could have been avoided - Saddam has tens of thousands of combatants on his side - with some real hard cases among them. Bottom line is that we were going to take casualties, but the situation is nowhere near as bad as the pessimists or outright Bush opponents would have them. Every insurgency worth its name has taken years to put down (Greece, the Philippines, Malaya, Indonesia, etc). Iraq is no different. If the terrorists are completely wiped out in less than 2 years, this will be one of the shortest guerrilla wars on record.
Posted by Zhang Fei  2003-11-30 11:59:12 PM||   2003-11-30 11:59:12 PM|| Front Page Top

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