NYT - In the Battle for a Mosque, No Ground Rules

[maddezmom]

fALLUJA, Iraq, Nov. 9 - After nearly 16 hours of fighting, the United States marines thought they had finally won their battle for the green-domed mosque, which insurgents had been using as a command center.

Then a car drove up behind a group of the marines on Al Thurthar Street. Seven men bristling with Kalashnikovs, rocket-propelled grenades and black ammunition belts spilled onto the street, ready to fight at point-blank range. The marines turned and fired, and killed four of them immediately, blowing one man's head entirely away before he fell on his back onto the pavement, his arms spread wide.

~snip~

The battle for Falluja does not fall into any neat category, and even the messy label of urban warfare does not capture the intensity and unpredictability of this battlefield. In some places, the insurgents appear to fire and fall back, perhaps trying to tease the marines into ambushes or dissolve into the grimy fabric of the city to fight another day.

But elsewhere, they hold their ground until the buildings around them are obliterated, or open fire abruptly from exposed positions and are literally cut to pieces. Nothing here makes sense, but the Americans' superior training and firepower eventually seem to prevail.

more: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/10/international/middleeast/10mosque.html?oref=login

[Poll_Blind]

1. "...blowing one man's head entirely away before he fell on his back ..."

What a fucking old-fashioned tornado of shit.

PB

[Emillereid]

2. We have a date with blowback -- and I fear sooner rather than not.

When will we ever learn? Will we ever learn? I fear not as long as we are dominated by our own fear.

Boy, if there was ever a time for a FDR to emerge -- NOW would be none too soon.

[bhikkhu]

3. FDR?

Didn't he burn much of Japan and Germany to the ground?

[Emillereid]

4. I meant the FDR who rallied the nation

with the wisdom that all we had to fear is fear itself.

Unfortunately every great historical person tends to carry a lot of baggage.

[daleo]

5. Americans' superior training and firepower eventually seem to prevail

I gather it also prevailed in most of the Viet Nam battles too.

[The_Casual_Observer]

6. Nothing here makes sense

As long as the marines stay right there for ever they can hold that spot. However, the minute they leave, the Jihad will return to reclaim it. This will continue forever because we have given them a cause.

[maddezmom]

7. we have created another ME Crisis

:eyes: