Today: US drops 40,000 pounds of bombs in a matter of minutes on Baghdad's southern outskirts

[Emit]

US warplanes pound southern Baghdad outskirts 10 Jan 2008 16:42:20 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Peter Graff

BAGHDAD, Jan 10 (Reuters) - U.S. warplanes launched their biggest air strike in Iraq since at least 2006 on Thursday, bombarding date palm groves on Baghdad's southern outskirts with more than 40,000 pounds of bombs in a matter of minutes.

Two B-1 bombers and four F-16 fighter jets struck more than 40 al Qaeda targets in three zones of Arab Jabour, a lush district just south of the capital that has become a haven for fighters driven out of other areas.

The attack formed part of Operation Phantom Phoenix, a major countrywide offensive against al Qaeda guerrillas that U.S. forces announced this week.

"Thirty-eight bombs were dropped within the first 10 minutes, with a total tonnage of 40,000 pounds," the military said in a statement. "Each bomber passed over twice and the F-16s followed to complete the set."

U.S. forces spokesman Major Winfield Danielson said it was the biggest air strike in Iraq since at least 2006. A spokeswoman for U.S. forces in central Iraq, Major Allayne Conway, said it was too soon to assess the damage inflicted.

~snip~

More:
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L10691382.htm

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. If you don't use them, they go stale. Everyone knows that.

[YOY]

3. and have you ever smelled a really stale bomb?

Well, I for one, wouldn't want a stinky arsenal!

[Whisp]

11. gotta make more product on the taxpayers dime.

move that inventory off the shelves we are running out of warehouse space.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. ...and not one innocent civilian was injured..... Bwaahaahaa

Gee, I wonder why the Iraqis hate us???

[Stephanie]

4. 40 al Qaeda targets?

al Queda is just a generic term now for the opposition, like Kleenex is for tissues.

[gratuitous]

5. How very courageous

I can see why the military is so appealing. Imagine getting the chance to drop 20 tons of bombs on people taken unawares who can't fight back and can't get away. You have to feel like Superman or something.

[malaise]

6. I bet George is jerking off

in Israel. He loves death and destruction.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

10. cheney is the one jerking off. Bush is enjoying other delights

did I mention that Condi is there?

[peace13]

7. How's that working for them?

I think global warming has been hastened by all of this useless bombing. When will they learn?

[ismnotwasm]

8. "too soon to assess the damage inflicted."

I think I'm going to be sick.

[tekisui]

9. Shame.

[Emit]

12. "300 families had fled after the offensive began earlier in the week."

~snip~

The Iraqi army officer, whose unit is in the Arab Jabour area, said that the air strikes led to the burning of several citrus groves and the destruction of two houses used by armed fighters. He said soldiers confiscated documents and weapons including AK-47s.

Moahmoud Chiad, who lives on the edge of Arab Jabour, told AP that many military checkpoints had been set up in the area and Iraqi security forces were ordering people, through loudspeakers, to stay home.

"After this, we saw US helicopters hovering over the area while the sounds of jet fighters were also heard," he said.

"Minutes later, there was the sounds of big explosions. We saw fire and smoke coming out from some groves. Then, the gunfire crackled in the groves, but it ended by noon."

~snip~

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/34FF8497-B1B6-4739-BB4F-7C500D389CE0.htm

[onethatcares]

13. 40 godzillion dollars worth of bomb and we get citrus groves burning

and two houses destroyed, what a fuckking waste of our money. Like the insurgents are gonna quit now that 40,000 lbs of bombs were dropped. hell, if I was an Iraqi and had my house blown to hell and my family killed, I'd sign right up, and I'd kick my sons' asses to join too.