Bomb Baghdad

U.S. airpower joins Baghdad battle that Iraqi officials say killed 50 insurgents

Iraq: U.S. jets screamed low over the capital and helicopter gunships swooped in to pound a central Baghdad battleground, supporting Iraqi and American troops in a daylong fight that officials said killed 50 insurgents in a militant Sunni Arab stronghold.

The battle Tuesday raged on Haifa Street about 1 1/2 miles (2.4 kilometers) north of the heavily fortified Green Zone — home to the U.S. Embassy , diplomats, NGO's — on the eve of U.S. President George W. Bush's expected announcement that he would send 20,000 more soldiers to Iraq.

This was the first two paragraphs of the AP report by the International Herald Tribune, syndicated across North America and round the world.

U.S. jets buzzing the city didn't conduct any airstrikes, but "attack helicopters were used to engage targets in support of the ground forces." said Lt. Col. Scott Bleichwehl, spokesman for Multi-National Division Baghdad. The Iraqi Defense Ministry reported 50 deaths among insurgents.

An Antonov cargo plane crashed near Balad, 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) north of the capital. The official said it was unclear whether the aircraft had mechanical problems or was shot down. 34 people, Iraqi and Turkish workers at the US Air Base were killed. This is the home of the US$190 Mn AC-130 H/U "Spectre" Gunships, with massive 40mm cannon and 105mm cannons which operate at night, were used in Fallujah, but haven't seen action over Baghdad .... yet.

In Fallujah Bill Ardolino an embedded journalist reports a US$16Mn M1A-1 Abrams tank is hit by a large IED in a notoriously active downtown street. Immobilized and set on fire by a bomb laden with fuel accelerant, the crew escape from the vehicle and make it safely to other tanks.

The Fire Station is 800 metres away and the US forces want the fire extinguished lest on board ammunition explodes - the Iraqi firemen won't move until two tank cres are despatched to ..er..encourage them. Four hours after the explosion and three hours after the call to the fire department, the blaze was finally extinguished.

Somewhere in the city 47 year old Army Maj. Michael Lewis Mundell from Kentucky, husband and father of 4 is blown to bits by a roadside bomb.

In the nearby city of Karmah, which also was home to many former Iraqi intelligence officers and high-ranking Baathists, many of the insurgents cleared from Fallujah have set up base and 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment (Airborne) from Fort Richardson, Alaska, has been brought in under the command of Marine Regimental Combat Team 5 (RCT-5).

Afghan born, US educated Zalmay Khalilzad, (riend of Paul Wolfowitz at Chicago University, student of neo con Straussist acolyte, Wholstetter ,) the U.S. ambassador to Iraq whom President Mailiki ignored to organise the hasty lynching of Saddam Hussein,is off to take over from John Bolton as US Ambasador to United Nations.

President Bush will explain today how 5 Army Brigades are needed to "hold" Baghdad and effectively another is needed for Anbar province...in all another 20,000 (ish) troops. Not to mention the helicopter gunships, Hornets, A-10's Apachees, Black Hawks ..... the Pentagon has decided to prepare for a fight with a restless, oppressed population of slum-dwellers, who have literally nothing to lose. As the Army Urban Ops Manual, a child of DARPA has it ..

"Army forces will likely conduct operations in, around, and over urban areas -- not as a matter of fate, but as a deliberate choice linked to national security objectives and strategy, and at a time, place, and method of the commander's choosing."

Congress, as ever, will vote the money after making a few noises and screwing up their noses.

Another fucking day in Paradise.