U.S. Airstrike in Fallujah Kills 14 , AP

[G_j]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4324041,00.html

U.S. Airstrike in Fallujah Kills 14

Sunday July 18, 2004 12:46 PM


By DANICA KIRKA

Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A U.S. airstrike Sunday on a Fallujah neighborhood previously targeted by American forces destroyed a house and killed 14 people, hospital and local officials said.

Interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's office said he had given the go-ahead for the attack. U.S. officials declined to provide details of the strike.

The strike was the sixth on the city since June 19. In previous strikes, the United States said it was targeting safehouses used by the network of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian militant accused of masterminding car bombings and other attacks in Iraq.

Allawi has promised strong cooperation with the Americans in rooting out terrorism and said after a July 5 airstrike in Fallujah that his government had provided the intelligence for the strike. Allawi consulted with U.S. forces Saturday about the strike, his office said.

..more..

[johnfunk]

1. Winning hearts and minds...

boggles the mind.

[PROUDNWLIBERAL]

2. Dead man

Allawi dead man walking.

[cal04]

4. sure does look like it

Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi, the fugitive Jordanian Islamist who has a $25m US bounty on his head, offered a reward of his own for anyone who kills Iraq's pro-US prime minister.

"The Khalid ibn Al-Walid Brigade announces to the Iraqi people a reward of $285 000 for the one who cuts the head of (Iyad) Allawi," said the statement.

"In the unit of candidates for martyrs, we promise before God to kill you ... and those of your clique wanted by Sheikh Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi," said the statement posted on a website.

Its authenticity could not be verified.

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Iraq/0,,2-10-1460_1559437,00.html

[BeFree]

3. Car Bombs vs. Airstrikes War

Part Two of the World War Dubya.

The Natives resort to using ordinary, everyday instruments to wreak havoc on the populace. The Crusaders rely on high-tech, extraordinary weaponry to also wreak havoc on the populace.

Way to go Dubya. You shall be remembered by the populace and crusaders alike.Boosh shall be remembered as the one person who could have prevented WW Dubya, but didn't.

The only thing to fear is boo!sh itself.

[Wacahootaman]

6. They might not be the same thing

"Part Two of the World War Dubya.

The Natives resort to using ordinary, everyday instruments to wreak havoc on the populace. The Crusaders rely on high-tech, extraordinary weaponry to also wreak havoc on the populace."

They might not be the same thing. Car bombs on crowded streets or car bombs targeted against funeral mourners are not the same as missile strikes against terrorists sites from which terrorists are coordinating the car bombings.

That being said,this only applies if the house in Fallajah was a terrorist den.Hopefully it was.

Granted Iraq is a clusterf*ck, but please don't equate our troops surgically attacking terrorists with those who's bombs target Iraqi civilians on crowded streets.

[The_Casual_Observer]

7. surgically attacking terrorists

"this only applies if the house in Fallajah was a terrorist den"

If things were as they would like us to believe, why a need for a "surgical" strike? We "won" didn't we? "mission accomplished" and all that. What can't they simply go to the house and find out who is there and sort it out? Nobody is asking that question, instead, "surgical" air strikes have become routine. It's bullshit, and the place appears to be completely out of control.

[daleo]

8. I doubt most Iraqis see things this way

"Car bombs on crowded streets or car bombs targeted against funeral mourners are not the same as missile strikes against terrorists sites from which terrorists are coordinating the car bombings."

Most Iraqis probably see these "terrorists" as fellow countrymen and U.S. troops as invaders. They will tend to see the car bombs as a consequence of the invasion, and ultimately the responsibility of the U.S. The distinctions of which you speak are strictly for American consumption. If another country invaded the U.S., I imagine this is how you would see things, too.

[Wacahootaman]

9. Good point, but correct me if I am wrong.

Didn't we invade France in 1944? We landed at Normandy I think. I read where our bombers killed tens of thousands of French civilians in that "Good War". Yet they say the French cheered our troops. How come?

Of Course, the hated Nazis had only been in power for 3 years, nothing like the Baathist control of Iraq for 30 years so Iraq has a lot more Saddam remnants using the car bomb to kill our troops and Iraqi civilians.

I don't doubt that our troops are regarded as invaders by most Iraqis, but even those who are fighting against us have condemned the car bombs in crowded streets targeted against civilians.

This being said, I just dont see the moral equivalence between targeting funeral mourners with car bombs and a surgical air strike against those making those car bombs.

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. moral equivalence

Argue moral equivalence if you would like to. However, remember that prior to our glorious invasion, we didn't hear too much about car bombs in Iraq now did we?

[daleo]

12. I just think that is the way Iraqis see things

I am not really debating the moral situation here. It just seems to me that history has shown, with rare exceptions, that invaders are rejected in favor of indigenous forces, by the local population. This is almost always the case, even when the local forces are not exactly democratic. Perhaps there is a sort of nationalism or tribalism at work - perhaps it is just the knowledge that the resistance forces will be still be around in ten years, while the imperialist forces will probably be gone that produces this effect.

The key difference between France and Iraq is that the invading Anglo-American forces were kicking out invaders from Germany. The Anglo-American forces also had a significant contingent of Free French, which helped smooth matters over. Had Anglo-American forces taken sides during the French Revolution (say during the Reign of Terror, to grant your parallel with Saddam's assumed cruelty), they would surely have been quickly resented by substantial portions of the French population.

[Wednesdays]

15. It happened just as you described

during the French Revolution. A coalition of nations (including Britain, Spain, Austria, and Prussia) jointly attacked France in 1793, and were hardly greeted by the French with open arms. The coalition was repulsed, and the war was partly responsible for the rise of Napoleon.

http://www.wtj.com/articles/napsum1/

[daleo]

17. Thanks for the info

n/t

[manic expression]

13. That's just wrong

Those strikes, are in no way, "surgical". For goodness sake, they bombed a wedding!
"car bombs targeted against funeral mourners are not the same as missile strikes against terrorists"
I wonder why those people were mourning a loved one in the first place. Perhaps it was because of our benevolent liberation.
"terrorists sites from which terrorists are coordinating the car bombings"
They coordinate the car bombings from the FRONT SEAT. We have not bombed a "terrorist HQ" or whatever we're looking for so far. We have only caused the deaths of ordinary people. That is what is happening.

I doubt our air-massacres have killed 1/1000 of terrorists as those same strikes have killed innocent civilians. Do not try and put faith in the "better" weapons just because they have red, white, and blue on them. Just because I support our troops that does not mean I will give them ANY excuse for murder. Because that is what they are doing, like it or not. I will equate something which deserves that comparison, and I will NEVER shut my mouth because the killers are fighting this side or that side. Face the harsh reality: Those airstrikes do not kill terrorists, they only kill innocents (which creates more terrorists).

[Wacahootaman]

14. Yeah, I bet you support our troops.

You just used the smears "air massacre" and "murderers" to describe them.

The air strikes in Fallajuh hit one house which is pretty damn precise. Contrast this with WWII, the "Good War" where our bombers carpet bombed German and Japanese cities killing hundreds of thousands.

BTW, your avatar is of a blood thirsty thug. I know it is "hip" these days, but you should know something about the man you support. Check it out bro:

http://www.neoliberalismo.com/Archivo-01/real_che.htm

[daleo]

5. I wouldn't bet a plugged nickel on Allawi living long when U.S. pulls out

One problem with this development, though, is that it will give some oxygen to the theory that the U.S. cannot abandon its allies (i.e. men like Allawi, whom Bushco has propped up), after Kerry takes over. The same stuff was heard during Viet Nam. At best (worst really) this justification will only prolong the inevitable.

[Catfight]

11. I think of the Iraqi woman in FH911 screaming for God to help her.

We are bombing houses, not targets.

[nagbacalan]

16. Hope no wedding celebration was in progress.