Marines face new kind of fight in Iraq

[thedrifter]

Last update: October 23, 2004 at 10:21 PM <br />
Marines face new kind of fight in Iraq <br />
Edward Wong, New York Times <br />
October 24, 2004 CORP1024 <br />
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<br />
RAMADI, IRAQ -- The Marines in Ramadi are still...

[thedrifter]

Sunday, October 24, 2004

Marines honored by hometown
Hyde Park's homecoming salutes trio
By Dan Shapley
Poughkeepsie Journal

HYDE PARK -- Three friends tight enough to call each other brothers, all Marines awaiting orders to fight in Iraq, were honored on the football field at Franklin D. Roosevelt High School Saturday by a homecoming crowd and an American Legion color guard.
The Hyde Park natives and FDR grads were Eagle Scouts together, and now will be going to fight in the same war.

The troops are serving at a time when mounting American casualties and a heated presidential contest have left the public deeply divided about Iraq and its place in the war on terrorism. That division hasn't extended to include the troops, though.

Cpl. Eric Mallardi and Cpl. Chris Williamson, both 22, have already served in the war on terrorism.

Went to Afghanistan, Iraq

Williamson served seven months in Tarin Kowt in southeastern Afghanistan, where he searched door-to-door for Taliban loyalists from the toppled regime. Mallardi was one of the first 500 Marines into Baghdad after the march from Kuwait that ended Saddam Hussein's government.

Lance Cpl. Shawn Dahlin, 20, will leave soon for training in desert and urban warfare in California, before deployment to Iraq. He and Mallardi expect to be sent by early March, and Williamson thinks he will be sent in early summer.

Mallardi's brother, Michael, 23, is an Army reservist serving in Al-Asad, West of Baghdad in the so-called Sunni Triangle at the center of recent fighting.

The Marines and their families reflected America's conflicted feelings about the war, as well as a passionate resolve to support the U.S. troops.

''There's a lot of things that run through your mind. Hindsight is 20-20,'' said Jeff Mathews, Eric and Michael Mallardi's father. Michael Mallardi and his father worked together building homes in Westchester County, and though the father misses leaving for work every day with his son, he is proud of their service.

''The people of Iraq thanked my son for being there,'' he said, referring to Eric's role in the fall of Baghdad. ''I know both my sons are fighting for freedom.''

The march to Baghdad was a clear and satisfying victory, Eric Mallardi said, but he's more conflicted about America's role in Iraq now.

''At first, we were just in what we were doing,'' he said. ''I can understand we are trying to help them out, but now we're losing too many Marines. We've got to pull our boys out.''

Mallardi keeps in touch with his brother several times a week via e-mail and text messages, as well as occasional phone calls and letters. Like the other Marines, he expects to pack photos to remind him of home.

''Pictures are the key thing, and an address book with a lot of addresses. I wrote so many letters,'' he said. ''Mail is your friend over there.''

His mother, Marie-Elena Mathews, has arranged for a military plane leaving Stewart Air National Guard Base in November to carry a load of food and other comforts from home to Marines at her son's base. Donations are being accepted, with the help of Hyde Park's football booster club, Boy Scout Troop 37, the Rutman family in Chappaqua, and the Dutchess County Department of Social Services.

The four-man color guard from American Legion Post 1303 in Hyde Park were proud to honor the young Marines. Between them, they had combat experience in World War II, Vietnam and the Korean war.

''We're here to honor them, and their efforts and sacrifices. Even though a lot of people don't agree with the Iraq war, they're putting their lives on the line, like we did. We want to honor them for that,'' said Ron Holtzman, a veteran of the Korean War.

Joe Polate, a Vietnam War veteran, said the controversy about the Iraq War is worrisome.

''It's not good for morale,'' he recalled. ''When you're over there, you hear this sort of thing.''

Family speaks of pride

Shawn Dahlin's training has instilled in him a new sense of responsibility, a knowledge of military lingo like IED -- improvised explosive devices -- as well as some cockiness. At least that's what his girlfriend, Bonnie Lastner of Rhinebeck, tells him. She took his decision to fight hard, and hers will be among the photos he packs when he leaves for Iraq.

''I don't like the idea of the war,'' his mother, Susan Dahlin said, ''but I have a lot of faith and I believe God will take care of him. I'm very proud of what they're doing for our country.''

His father, Sam Dahlin, who served 21 years in the Army, was filled with pride Saturday.

''He made his decision, and I'm proud of him,'' he said. ''He came a long way. He left as a boy and came back as a man. I feel like he's 10 feet taller every time he comes in.''


Dan Shapley can be reached at dshapley@poughkeepsiejournal.com

Where to call

To learn how to donate goods to the Marines serving in Iraq, call 845-229-8843.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/today/localnews/stories/lo102404s1.shtml

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Sunday, October 24, 2004
Marines: Local twins have reunion in Iraq


By Patrick Wilson
JOURNAL REPORTER

Twins Jennifer and Jessica Ryu of Winston-Salem have always been both competitive and close.

They played the same sports at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Kernersville, and although they went to different colleges, they each got ROTC scholarships.

The twins, 24, then became Marine officers, and both were deployed to Iraq in August; Jennifer is a first lieutenant at Camp Fallujah, and Jessica is a second lieutenant in Ramadi, about 70 miles west of Baghdad.

A few days ago, the twins got to see each other when Jessica flew 30 miles by helicopter for a work trip at Jennifer's base.

"She's always happy, and obviously working 12-hour shifts is going to wear on a person," Jennifer said of her sister.

"She was just a breath of fresh air. It was much needed."

"Just hanging out with her made me so happy, regardless of where we are, the U.S. or Iraq," Jessica said.

The twins are both in communications work and don't see combat. They said in telephone interviews and e-mails that they love the Marines and the work they are doing.

Jessica said that her biggest fear about being deployed was failing.

"I'm doing real-world stuff, and I'm actually doing my job instead of just training to do my job," she said. "The Marines out here are absolutely amazing. They're just kids, and they do a phenomenal job out here, and they do it willingly."

Jennifer said she works long hours as a communications officer supervising 37 other Marines and monitoring a communications network for Marines across Iraq. She also was deployed to Kuwait last fall.

Jessica said she is in communications-related work and oversees 15 Marines, but asked that her specific job not be printed.

The twins' parents, Jai and Jacqueline Ryu, are retired professors at Wake Forest University. They said they support the U.S. mission in Iraq.

"They said, 'Mom, we're soldiers. This is a war. This is where we needed to be,'" Jacqueline Ryu said of her daughters.

Even though the twins don't get together frequently in Iraq, their parents said they are glad that the twins can talk on the phone and communicate by e-mail.

"I'm worried 100 percent of the time," said Jacqueline Ryu, who keeps the news on "20 hours a day or more."

Jessica Ryu graduated from the University of Michigan - where her father received an undergraduate degree - with a degree in Latin, and Jennifer Ryu from UNC Chapel Hill, with a degree in communications and a minor in Japanese.

Each must serve at least four years in the military to meet the conditions of their scholarships, and both picked the Marine Corps.

"They're very competitive by nature, and it suited them," Jacqueline Ryu said.

Jennifer, who is engaged to a Marine, grew up wanting to be a commercial pilot. She worked at an ice-cream shop and as a bartender in college and said she tried to back out of the military in her junior year.

"It just didn't seem like what I wanted to do at the time," she said, but she loves it.

Their parents said they remember the twins' childhood mischief, such as when they nailed boards on a tall tree to climb it, and the time that they colored each other's backs with marker pens.

"They painted each other and everything in the room, walls, themselves, furniture, everything," Jai Ryu said.

Their older sister Juliette Ryu, 28, a chef in Ann Arbor, Mich., said she was surprised that her sisters were excited about going to Iraq. "I thought, how can they be excited? They're going off to fight a war. But it's what they're trained for, and it's what they do."

• Patrick Wilson can be reached at 727-7286 or at pwilson@wsjournal.com

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArti cle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031778714104


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Cheyenne Marines help in capture

By the Star-Tribune staff Sunday, October 24, 2004




Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Eric M. Sonnie, son of Margaret M. Sonnie of Cheyenne and Randy W. Sonnie of Sidney, Neb., and Lance Cpl. Anthony E. Deluna, son of Rita M. Hurtado of Cheyenne and Tony Deluna of Oakley, Calif., and the Marines and Sailors of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) recently captured four suspected

anti-Iraqi militants in Northern Babil province.

Their unit also provided assistance from the MEU's Force Reconnaissance platoon to Iraqi Special Weapons and Tactics members as well as Iraqi national guardsmen, to help capture a former Baath Party leader and apprehend two men suspected of firing on Marines.

Since assuming operational control of Northern Babil on July 29, the unit has worked closely with ISF to disrupt criminal and other anti-Iraqi activity in the area. To date, they have captured more than 160 individuals throughout the province. Their mission is to assist Iraqi authorities in fostering security and stability for the nearly 900, 000 citizens of the province.

MEU's are a Marine Air Ground Task Force. With a strength of about 2,200 personnel, the MEU consists of a command element, a reinforced infantry battalion, a composite helicopter squadron and a MEU service support group.

*WARRIOR FORGE GRADS: Andrew H. Eickbush and Amy R. Fortuna have graduated from the Army ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) Leader Development and Assessment Course, also known as "Operation Warrior Forge," at Fort Lewis, Tacoma, Wash.

The training provides the best possible professional training and evaluation for all cadets in the aspects of military life, administration and logistical support. Although continued military training and leadership development is included in the curriculum, the primary focus of the course is to develop and evaluate each cadet's officer potential as a leader. The cadet command assesses each cadet's performance and progress in officer traits, qualities and professionalism while attending the course.

Eickbush is the son of Andrew A. and Susan D. Eickbush of Cheyenne and is a 2001 graduate of Cheyenne Central High School.

Fortuna is the daughter of Syd Fortuna and Ken Fortuna, both of Rock Springs, and is a 2001 graduate of Rock Springs High School.

*DELAYED ENTRY: Civilian Kristen R. Trefren, daughter of Dale D. and David W. Trefren of Cheyenne, recently enlisted in the United States Navy under the Delayed Entry Program at Navy Recruiting District, Denver, Colo.

Trefren will report for active duty to undergo basic training at the Navy's Recruit Training Center, Great Lakes, Ill.

She is a 2003 graduate of Cheyenne East High School.

http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2004/10/24/news/community/e2099fca2cf58b3087256f3600211c6b.txt

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Explosion of Postwar Humor Helps Iraqis

Sat Oct 23, 3:07 AM ET Middle East - AP


By HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - In debt, jobless and fed up with power outages, Abu Qadouri and his wife have themselves frozen to be revived when life is better. Ten years later, they are thawed out.


"Turn on the TV so we find out if elections were held and a democratic government installed," Abu Qadouri shouts at his wife. She yells back: "We have no electricity!"


The scene is from "Aqid al-Mikabsileen," or "Alley of the Junkies," a comedy that began airing last week on a privately owned Iraqi TV channel. Broadcast daily, it has taken the country by storm.


Many Iraqis readily admit that humor is not considered an Iraqi characteristic. Egyptians have a reputation as the jokesters of the Arab world. Iraq (news - web sites) is better known as a nation of avid readers.


But the unbridled freedoms that followed the fall of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) and the misery of a constant cycle of bombings, kidnappings and murders have kindled a national sense of humor.


Much of it is satirical and can be seen in street graffiti that makes fun of everyone, starting with the 140,000 American soldiers in Iraq. Other targets include insurgents, common criminals and political parties.


"The black humor you see on television is the only way for us to vent frustration," said Qasim al-Sabti, one of Iraq's leading painters. "We cry one minute and laugh the next when we watch 'Alley of the Junkies,'" he said.


Much of the dialogue is in the Iraqi dialect, which can be difficult to understand, even for fellow Arabs.


"Every time I apply for a job they ask me for a letter or recommendation from a political party," Abu Hamoudi, the episode's lead actor, complains to his wife. Their son has given up trying to find a job and has taken up begging at a traffic light close to the family home.


Hashem Salman, one of Iraq's top comedians, is not too thrilled about TV shows portraying Iraqis as thieves, looters and junkies. As for artistic license, he claims comedians under Saddam could get away with criticizing the regime.


Another comedian, Majid Yassin, said in some ways exercising his profession is harder these days with the capital the scene of so much violence and crime.


"You cannot go to a show and come out at 10 or 11 at night. Not any more," he said. "My group performs only in safe towns outside Baghdad."


Still, what Iraqis see in "Alley of the Junkies" is a far cry from anything seen or watched during Saddam's reign of terror, when Iraqis could end up in jail — or worse — for indiscreet jokes about the president and his family.


Now, Iraqis post images on Web sites ridiculing Saddam. One shows him bearded and squatting on the ground, singing about how unfair life can be.


Another one shows him lying on his back in a hole — he was captured in December in an underground hole near his hometown of Tikrit — with rats and trash around him.


"You are the only loyal Baathists left for me," he tells the rodents.


Newspaper cartoons, by contrast, are heavy with criticism and sarcasm, but with only a dash of humor.





One published recently in al-Sabah, a semiofficial daily newspaper, laments the destruction wrought by the U.S. Army.

It shows an Iraqi speaking to American soldiers on a tank that has just crushed a median.

"Mister, my dear, drive to the next street," the Iraqi says. "There's a sidewalk there that you haven't destroyed yet."

In the daily al-Moatamar, published by the Iraqi National Congress party, a party that primarily gathers Iraqi exiles, cartoonist Abdul-Khaleq al-Hubar drew three haggard Iraqis in their underwear seated on a bench. One is blindfolded, another has a cloth stuck in each ear and the third has his mouth covered with a handkerchief.

An American soldier stands before them like a school teacher. He's carrying a folder bearing the words: "Democracy: First Lesson."


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=11&u=/ap/20041023/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_coping_with_humor

Ellie

[thedrifter]

A touch of home at LSA Anaconda


By Juliana Gittler, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Friday, October 22, 2004


LSA ANACONDA, Iraq — The afternoon sun shimmers off the water as soldiers lob a volleyball around the pool.

Nearby, others break a sweat in the indoor racquetball court. In the evening, a newly released blockbuster plays at the theater. Don’t forget the popcorn and Jujyfruits.

At one of the largest and busiest military bases in Iraq, servicemembers assigned to — or fortunate enough to visit — Logistics Support Area Anaconda have the closest thing to home in a combat zone.

Blessed with many pre-existing luxuries, such as an Olympic-size pool and movie theater, the former Iraqi air base has become a semiparadise in the desert.

Never mind that it’s also one of the most-often attacked bases, receiving mortar and rocket hits almost daily: Everyone loves the chance to visit.

“This exceeded all expectations I had of a combat zone,” said Spc. Joseph Rieke, who recently arrived in Iraq with the 161st Infantry Battalion of the 81st Brigade Combat Team.

During their short stay in Anaconda before heading out to a forward operating base, Rieke and his fellow soldiers enjoyed the colossal 24-hour gym with basketball and racquetball courts, the pool, and the cuisine in one of five cathedral dining facilities.

“The food here is better than Fort Lewis [Wash.],” Rieke said. “I’m not going to call it a vacation, but this is nice.”

Every day, more and more troops living at Anaconda move from tent cities into air-conditioned trailers. Every day, more of the pre-existing buildings used for housing get running water and indoor plumbing.

And every day, work continues on some of the luxuries to come: a 20-megawatt power generator, water and waste water treatment plants and clean-air incinerator that will turn the base into something of a normal place.

It’s a far cry from one year ago, when everyone lived in tents, ate in tents and scurried across compounds to field latrines.

“It was pretty austere, really,” said Lt. Col. Ed Patterson, Army director of the Department of Public Works and team leader of Facility Engineer Team 15, the body responsible for much of the reconstruction.

When U.S. forces first arrived at the air base, military leaders recognized the strategic value of a logistics hub and major airfield north of Baghdad. By mid-2003, about 7,000 people lived in tents around the airfield.

As the base grew, trailers sprouted including long-awaited ablution units bearing flush toilets and real showers. A power grid, run by generators, was established. Morale facilities grew. And more and more troops moved in.

About 25,000 servicemembers and civilians now call it home.

Anaconda has become a small city, with a fire department, police department, mayor’s office, airport, theater, bus system and education center.

The shopping plaza has a Burger King and a Pizza Hut. Taco Bell, Popeye’s Chicken, Subway and a Green Bean coffee shop are on the way.

“For the last year the focus has been quality of life,” said Maj. Steven Smith, executive officer of the Garrison Support Unit, 852nd Rear Area Operations Center, which runs the mayor’s cell. “If you have a good quality of life for people, it builds morale, it builds esprit.”

The troops and civilians working at the base seem appreciative.

“It’s a lot nicer than I expected,” said Angel Cuevas, a civilian working for L3 Communications. “We’re at war, and we’ve got a gym."

The amenities provide a break for the thousands living there as well as hundreds more who visit daily to pick up supplies for forward operating bases around the top half of the country.

Capt. Bob Ohl, commander of Company B, 336th Military Police Battalion, makes sure that his soldiers picking up supplies for their tiny operating base nearby get a chance to unwind at Anaconda before returning.

Soldiers volunteer to escort convoys on their day off because it means a few hours at the pool, gym or possibly theater, he said.

“We don’t have anything like this. It’s definitely a morale boost,” Ohl said. “We try to give our guys a break and give them down time here.”

Anaconda’s comforts, however, are tempered by daily attacks and long waits indoors during code red alerts. Five soldiers and one civilian have died since January from indirect fire.

The theater may be nice, but sandbags still line the windows and doors. Three cement factories pour out concrete blast walls daily to cushion new housing trailers and living areas.

But as reconstruction and development continue and more services come online, Anaconda will continue to offer some respite and a taste of home, its leaders say.

“This place will really explode next year,” Patterson said. “If you have to stay in northern Iraq, this is the place to be.”

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=25062


Ellie

[thedrifter]

The New York Times <br />
October 24, 2004 <br />
TROOPS <br />
Leathernecks Guard the Streets of Ramadi, Itching for a Fight With an Invisible Foe <br />
By EDWARD WONG <br />
<br />
RAMADI, Iraq, Oct. 21 - The marines here are still...

[thedrifter]

October 20, 2004 <br />
<br />
U.S., Iraqi forces gear up to retake Fallujah <br />
<br />
By Jim Michaels <br />
USA Today <br />
<br />
<br />
BAGHDAD, Iraq — An imminent offensive to break the resistance in Fallujah, a rebel stronghold...

[thedrifter]

50 Iraq Soldiers Apparent Ambush Victims

By TINI TRAN, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The bodies of about 50 unarmed Iraqi soldiers — many killed execution style with gunshots to the back of the head — were found on a remote road in eastern Iraq (news - web sites), victims of an ambush as they were heading home on leave after basic training, Iraqi authorities said Sunday


A State Department security officer was killed during a mortar or rocket attack against a U.S. base near Baghdad International Airport, the U.S. Embassy announced. A U.S. soldier was also injured in the attack on Camp Victory, the headquarters of the U.S.-led coalition's ground forces command.


Edward Seitz, an agent with the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, was killed about 5 a.m., said embassy spokesman Bob Callahan. He is believed to be the first State Department employee killed in Iraq since Operation Iraqi Freedom began in March 2003.


The Iraqi soldiers, who had recently finished a training course, were on their way home when they were ambushed and killed about sundown Saturday on a road about 95 miles east of Baghdad near the Iranian border, said Interior Ministry spokesman Adnan Abdul-Rahman.


The nature of that attack suggested an increased boldness and organization by insurgents, who, until now, have mainly used roadside bombs and suicide car bombs in their attacks on the Iraqi military and police.


Diyala province's deputy governor Aqil Hamid al-Adili told Al-Arabiya TV he believed the ambush was an inside job.


"There was probably collusion among the soldiers or other groups. Otherwise, the gunmen would not have gotten the information about the soldiers' departure from their training camp and that they were unarmed," he said.


"In the future we will try to be more careful when the soldiers leave their camps. We will provide them with protected cars that can escort them home."


Gen. Walid al-Azzawi, commander of the Diyala provincial police, said the bodies were laid out in four rows each, with 12 bodies in each row.


"After inspection, we found out that they were shot after being ordered to lay down on the earth," he said.


Lt. Ali Jawad Kadhim, from the nearby Mandali police station, said all the victims had been shot in the back of the head. Kadhim, who said he took photos of the bodies, said all had their hands were crossed behind their heads.


An Associated Press reporter on the scene reported seeing the burned frames of two minibuses. Bloodstains were visible on the ground, along with human remains. Witnesses said the attackers stole some buses. Police said they had found 51 bodies at the site of the attack.


A U.S. military source in the region confirmed the incident, but was uncertain of the number of dead.


Iraqi security forces are constant targets of insurgents, who consider them collaborators with American forces. Attacks have increased by 25 percent in Iraq since the start of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan last weekend.


Most of the targets have been civilians and Iraqi police or National Guard. Just a day earlier, suicide bombers had struck Iraqi security targets north and west of Baghdad, killing 22 Iraqi policemen and National Guardsmen, officials said.


But U.S. forces also come under daily fire. Six U.S. soldiers were wounded in an ambush on the road to Baghdad airport — one of the country's most dangerous routes.


The early morning attack that killed Seitz had fallen on a trailer where he had been sleeping, said a U.S. Embassy official who asked not to be named.





The Diplomatic Security Bureau is the State Department's own security unit. Its agents conduct a range of tasks, from designing physical security for U.S. diplomatic buildings and personnel, to assessing threats, investigating attacks and devising responses.

Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) and the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, John D. Negroponte, issued statements of condolences Sunday to Seitz's wife, co-workers, family and friends.

"The Department of State and I mourn the loss of one of our own today in Baghdad," Powell said, while on a tour of Asia. "Ed was a brave American, dedicated to his country and to a brighter future for the people of Iraq."

"Ed's death is a tragic loss for me personally, and for all of his colleagues at the Department of State," Powell said. "Ed Seitz died in the service of his country and for the cause of liberty and freedom for others. There is no more noble a sacrifice."

Negroponte said Seitz was a "committed professional" who served with distinction. The American community in Iraq mourns his loss and will "rededicate ourselves to the cause he served so valiantly and selflessly," Negroponte said.

"He came to Iraq, as did his fellow Americans here, to help the Iraqis defeat terrorism and the insurgency, establish democracy, and rebuild their economy," Negroponte said.

Recently, Seitz was involved in a U.S. investigation of a suspected terror cell in Detroit. In April 2002, Seitz testified that three suspects were attempting to wage "economic jihad" against the government and American businesses, especially Jewish-owned ones.

But last month, the Justice Department (news - web sites) acknowledged its prosecution was filled with a "pattern of mistakes and oversights" that warranted dismissal of the convictions.

In other developments:

_ Muslim al-Taie, the Karbala representative of a senior Shiite cleric, Hussein al-Sadr, was killed in a Sunday drive-by shooting in Karbala. One of al-Taie' s bodyguards was killed and another injured, according to an official in Karbala city.

_ Militants targeted Iraq National Guard forces near the central town of Baqouba, wounding seven in bomb attacks since Saturday that included an explosives-rigged flashlight, officials said.

Attackers detonated on Sunday an explosive near a vehicle carrying guardsmen to work, injuring three and a civilian driver. Late Saturday, militants tossed a bomb concealed in a flashlight at a National Guard checkpoint 12 miles south of Baqouba, wounding three of the security forces there, the official said.

_ On Sunday, a U.S. Marine warplane bombed a suspected rebel target in the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah, hitting at militants as they tried to rebuild a command post, a Marine official said. Witnesses said six people died in the strike, and at least one fresh corpse lay at the Fallujah General Hospital. The official had no information on casualties.

_ In three separate incidents Saturday, insurgents hit Iraq Army and National Guard forces on patrol in and around the central city of Samarra, lightly wounding two Iraqi soldiers, the U.S. military said.

_ Gunmen abducted a 7-year-old Lebanese boy and were demanding $150,000 for his release, Lebanon's official news agency reported Sunday. The boy was kidnapped two days ago while returning from school in the Diyala province east of Baghdad, the state-run National News Agency said. The boy's father has lived in Iraq for 30 years.

The Lebanese government was trying to secure the boy's release, the report said.


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041024/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq&cid=540&ncid=716


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Group Said to Admit Ambushing Iraq Troops

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group claimed responsibility for ambushing about 50 Iraqi soldiers in eastern Iraq (news - web sites), according to a statement posted on a Web site Sunday.


In a statement on an Islamic Web site signed by a group calling itself Al-Qaida in Iraq, formerly known as Tawhid and Jihad, the group claimed responsibility for the execution-style killings of the American-trained, unarmed soldiers.


On Saturday, insurgents waylaid three minibuses carrying the soldiers home on leave and massacred about 50 of them on a remote road near the Iran border, Iraqi officials said.


The Iraqi soldiers were on their way home after completing a training course at the Kirkush military camp northeast of Baghdad when their buses were stopped by rebels about 95 miles east of the capital, Interior Ministry spokesman Adnan Abdul-Rahman said.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041024/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_ambush_claim_1


Ellie

[snipowsky]

This first story is B.S. big time! They should be giving our troops anything and everything they need to accomplish the mission and come back alive. ****es me off knowing they don't have uparmored vehicles. Personally I'd rather be sitting in a military brig then going on suicide missions like that.

When is Washington and the Pentagon going to wake up and realize we can't do anything for these people? What they really need is a good civil war. Those Shi'ites will squash that Sunni insurrection/insurgency problem with the quickness by killing them all!

LET THOSE PEOPLE FIGHT FOR THEIR OWN FREEDOM! Americans should not be dying for another persons/countries freedom, unless they are fighting and dying for Americans. And this isn't the case!

BOTTOM LINE IT'S ALL ABOUT THAT BLACK GOLD!

[greensideout]

New kind of fight?
I don't think so. We have been down this road before.

Lessons learned?
It appears that little has been learned by the military leadership. As I have said before, what they learned from the history in nam was not something to follow but instead something to change! It looks like they got it wrong again.

Worn out gear?
All that we ever got was what the Army had used and discarded. We took pride in the fact that we could use the old gear and do better with it then they could with the new---lol.

Our troops are first class and doing a good job! I wish that I could feel and say the same about their brass! You know, the guys whose a$$ is shineing a chair in that five sided place.

[Sgt. Smitty]

This is no new kind of war........it's another Nam all over, right down to the incompetent leadership of our so-called President that should be on trial for war crimes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Namvet67]

I agree with greensideout and Sgt.Smitty (except the part about the Pres.)...Hey it's all about free speech. It sure looks like another Vietnam to me. Different time..different place..better equipment...thats all.

[Sgt. Smitty]

Those dam diaper-heads have the same mentality as the gooks in Nam did. They make friends during the day and shoot at ya at night. There is no difference between these diaper-heads and the gooks in Nam, just a different place and time.