Iraqi, US forces call air strike during Sadr City raid

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.khaleejtimes.ae/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/focusoniraq/2006/December/focusoniraq_December81.xml§ion=focusoniraq&col=

BAGHDAD - Iraqi army special forces and US advisers called in an air strike on Saturday and killed an enemy gunman during a raid on Sadr City, a Shiite militia bastion in east Baghdad, the US military said.

The assault was launched to arrest the leader of an armed gang accused of mounting car bomb and rocket attacks and setting up illegal checkpoints to trap civilians as part of the Iraqi capital’s vicious sectarian war.

A US military spokesman said six suspects were detained but it was not immediately clear whether the group’s leader was among them.

During the operation gunmen were spotted “displaying hostile intent” and a US warplane was called in to fire in support of the raiding party “resulting in one enemy fighter killed and one enemy fighter wounded”, a statement said.

[Eugene]

1. US military statement: "Minimal damage was caused to the objective and surrounding area..."

The Reuters report on this incident makes no mention of an air strike.
There's nothing minimal about an air strike in Sadr City.

Iraqi-US force raids Shi'ite stronghold in Baghdad
16 Dec 2006 07:46:34 GMT
Source: Reuters

BAGHDAD, Dec 16 (Reuters) - A special Iraqi army unit backed by U.S. troops killed
one militant and arrested six people during operations against a death squad leader
in a Baghdad Shi'ite stronghold early on Saturday, the U.S. military said.

The military said the target, who appears to have evaded capture, was believed
to lead a group of 100 militants who conducted kidnappings, killings and rocket
attacks against some neighbourhoods from Sadr City.

"Minimal damage was caused to the objective and surrounding area and there
were no reports of civilian casualties. There were no Iraqi forces or Coalition
Forces casualties," the U.S. military's statement said.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/KHA626706.htm

[buddysmellgood]

2. "Minimal damage" ... They also could have written "everything was destroyed."

[bigtree]

3. they all look like enemies to these folks. they shouldn't be there.

there's no way they can know for certain whether the folks they're firing on are 'enemies'.


they are now.