US Military Strikes Mosque Held by Iraqi Cleric's Militia

[nodehopper]

ARBALA, Iraq, May 12 — The American military attacked a mosque in this holy city on Tuesday in its largest assault yet against the forces of the young rebel Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr, even as the first signs emerged of a peaceful resolution to the five-week-long standoff with him.

The strike on the Mukhaiyam Mosque brought hundreds of American soldiers and their armored vehicles to within a third of a mile of two of the holiest sites in Shiite Islam, the ornate shrines of the martyrs Hussein and Abbas. A building behind the mosque was fired on, detonating a huge weapons cache, and soldiers stormed the mosque, chasing insurgents out into a hotel and alley. The American military said that at least 20 insurgents had died in the fighting, Reuters reported today.

...Until now, American forces had kept out of Karbala and nearby Najaf, another holy city, fearing to further inflame Iraqi fury against the occupying forces, now fevered because of widely distributed photographs of American personnel abusing Iraqi prisoners. </snip?

more here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/12/international/middleeast/12CND-IRAQ.html?hp

Bombing a mosque? This will go well.

[gWbush is Mabus]

1. Bush figures they can't get THAT much more pissed off

[stopthegop]

2. it may not go over well...

but you can't expect them to let the other side use a mosque as a safe zone to operate from...

[Judi Lynn]

3. U.S. soldiers battle al-Sadr supporters; fighting heaviest in holy city of

AP-CS-05-12-04 0819EDT


U.S. soldiers battle al-Sadr supporters; fighting heaviest in holy city of Karbala




KARBALA, Iraq (AP) -- U.S. soldiers backed by tanks and helicopters battled fighters loyal to a radical cleric near a mosque in this holy city Wednesday, hours after Iraqi leaders agreed on a proposal that would end his standoff with the U.S.-led forces. As many as 25 insurgents were killed, the coalition said.

The cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, urged fighters in Karbala to resist U.S. troops, comparing their struggle to the Vietnam War.

Half of the Mukhaiyam mosque, which had served as a base for al-Sadr's followers, was destroyed and seven hotels were ablaze after tanks opened fire and jets bombed the area. Most of the shops in Tal al-Zeinabiya, a central market, and three ambulances and two military vehicles also were destroyed.


American troops and al-Sadr's followers also fought overnight on the outskirts of the southern holy cities of Kufa and Najaf, and residents heard large explosions. One Iraqi was killed and four were wounded in Kufa, and four Iraqis were wounded in Najaf, hospital officials said.

~ more ~

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2004/05/12/news/breaking_news/28f3001d9d099b1f86256e92004a7e33.txt

[Just Me]

4. Crap. n/t

[Zhade]

5. Kick

:dem:

[keithyboy]

6. Just a few more 'bad apples' no doubt.

Surely you won't hold the US military officers to blame. this has nothing to do with US policy. It's all spontaneous letting off steam. You know, a frat prank.