Women Targeted (6 dead yest.) Juan Cole.

[rodeodance]

http://www.juancole.com/

> Saturday, June 25, 2005
>
> 6 US Military Personnel Killed, 13 Wounded at Fallujah
> Women Targeted
>
> A bomber targeted a Marine convoy near Fallujah coming back from a checkpoint, then guerrillas sprayed machine gun fire. They killed 6 Marines, including 4 women, and wounded 13, 11 of whom were women.
>
> The American women were deployed at the checkpoint to pat down Iraqi women. Arab culture insists on gender segregation, and it is considered unacceptable for male foreigners to pat down Muslim women.
>
> The Marines appear to have had their guard down. Fallujah has been relatively quiet since it was invested by US troops last November, and much of its population is still living elsewhere as refugees. There have been occasional firefights in the city, or firing of mortar rounds by guerrillas. Friday's attack was the most audacious since the city was reduced.

[Qanisqineq]

1. "... since the city was reduced"

Ugh, that just makes me ill hearing those words.

[ElectroPrincess]

2. That big covered lumbering Army Truck was targeted ...

This "women targeted" sounds like propaganda to me. The vehicle is totally covered. Therefore the insurgents could not see who exactly would be hit by their explosives.

It's tragic death, no matter the gender, but I find it hard to believe - and no data is here to back up that they *specifically* targeted women.

No, just more tragic death for the Neo-Con's Oil War.

[atreides1]

3. This was an ambush

And ambushes don't happen overnight, unless you happen to be in the area and notice an enemy force before in notices you.

The attackers planned this and caught the Marines with their pants around their ankles, not just with their guard down.

Just speculation on my part, but I'm willing to say that the Marines have been using the same route to transport equipment and personnel, and their security element wasn't up to the task. Did the convoy have security?

This kind of mistake is only made by a commander whose level of arrogance far outweighs his ability to command. Don't make any mistakes this was a command failure, and when you add that to the
total dedication of the insurgency, this is the result.

It could be that the Marines were the primary target, mainly because of two cases in which the Marines failed to prosecute two of their own for murder. Letting both of the accused murderers off by making the BS claim that they killed unramed men in self defense.

One thing I learned when I was stationed in the Middle East, is that
revenge is something that is still a major part of life for some.

These women were not specifically targeted for being women, and there was no way that the attackers could have known that women were
even passengers in this convoy.

[ElectroPrincess]

4. Enlightening ... good points

Yes, I would admit that using explosive devices does not lend credence to the concept of a "hasty ambush."

Excellent points. I am just saddened that yesterday most media did not give much attention and I'm getting the feeling that today Roverians are trying to spin this Ambush as "Muslims hate women."

But the truth, as you have described probably lies somewhere in-between.

Yes, revenge and payback cycle makes good sense. Thanks.