Marines uncover bomb factory

NEWS.com.au ^ | 12 April 2004 | Agence France-Presse

[11th_VA]

US marines told today how they killed one suicide bomber and discovered a suicide bomb workshop in the Sunni Muslim bastion of Fallujah, apparently run by Iraqis and foreigners.

The building, found on Thursday when marines chased a sniper, provided new evidence of the growing role of Iraqis in suicide bombings, the marines said.

The US marines are entrenched in a near week-long campaign to rid Fallujah of insurgents after four US contractors were killed by a mob and two of them were savagely mutilated on March 31.

Iraqi police and judges have recently expressed alarm about the increasing involvement of Iraqis in suicide bombings, which US officials had previously blamed on foreign fighters thought to be slipping across the border.

Police in the holy city of Karbala charged that some Iraqis were indoctrinated and high on drugs when they were dispatched on suicide missions.

Top US military officials warned the radical Islamic current in Iraq relied more heavily on Iraqi nationals than foreign elements.

Members of the 1st Battalion 5th (1-5) Marines said they stumbled on the workshop when they were trying to locate a sniper position.

"There was an open storage area and a living room. There were four belts packed with explosives," said Lance Corporal James Walter, one of the men who discovered the arsenal in Fallujah's southeastern industrial sector.

A box of old US military uniforms were also found, issued by the US Army's 82nd Airborne, said Lieutenant Colonel Brennan Byrne.

Marines said that they believed about 15 to 20 people had been working in the facility.

Also on Thursday, marines from the 1-5 battalion shot dead a suicide bomber, captured a second individual and found a third blood-stained belt.

Marines had come under fire and entered a home where they shot and killed the bomber.

The marines then lobbed grenades at the body to blow it up amid fears the corpse was booby trapped, said Captain James Smith.

He showed pictures of the corpse before the marines blew up the body, with a white belt and wiring attached to a bearded man lying on a tile floor.

The suicide belts were fashioned in the style of the radical Palestinian group Hamas, with a hand-held detonator, Byrne said.

Asked about the people using the workshop, he said: "It seems a mix of nationalities."

[11th_VA]

Asked about the people using the workshop, he said: "It seems a mix of nationalities."

Ya think ???

[JeeperFreeper]

The 1/5. My son( my hero) is a grunt there with that battalion. Semper fi,son.

[NewCastle]

Finally, international cooperation.

[blastdad51]

Asked about the people using the workshop, he said: "It seems a mix of nationalities."


surprise..surprise

[11th_VA]

God be with all of them - they're fighting a nasty group of terrorists ...

[A CA Guy]

Sounds like some WMDs right there and a delivery system of sorts.

[Dog]

The suicide belts were fashioned in the style of the radical Palestinian

hmmmmmmmm.

[livius]

Great job! Prayers for his continued safety.

[Dog]

My prayers are with you and your son..

[Sacajaweau]

We're praying for everyone of our troops. Stay strong!! I know it's easy to say. My sone lives in NY. Until I got that call that he was okay, we were all holding our breath.

We pray a lot!!

[Dog Gone]

The marines then lobbed grenades at the body to blow it up amid fears the corpse was booby trapped, said Captain James Smith.

I want that job.

[TrueBeliever9]

The suicide belts were fashioned in the style of the radical Palestinian group Hamas, with a hand-held detonator, Byrne said.

I am sure it is the palies that have Hamill!

[TrueBeliever9]

The LORD God of Hosts bless the U.S. Marine Corps! Pray for them constantly! Love the Marines - the BEST!

[Dog]

LOL!

[11th_VA]

I just hope they're not using the ceasefire to wire every house into the city - My greatest fear is weak leadership in Washington to deal with these savages ...

[Thebaddog]

What is your son saying about things over there?

[armymarinemom]

Tell your son Thank You!!!

[MEG33]

May God bless and keep your son.I am grateful for his service.Tell him we thank him and pray for all of them in harm's way.

[lepton]

bookmark bump

[Sacajaweau]

Since Saddam was paying the Palestinian suicide/homicide bomber families, I hardly consider this shocking. Somebody is still passing out the money!!

So here's a hidden bomb factory, where maybe 20 people were working. Please don't tell me that there are no WMD or "assembly line" capabilities around. It insults my intelligence.

We should never halted our WMD in 1998. I think it provided Saddam with perfect timing and he revised his whole program. He tried every trick in his power to get the samctions lifted after that.

The stop at the UN last year gave him yet another opportunity and BLITZ was the only chief inspector he would accept.

Watch the dates!! What was Saddam doing in 1993, 1998, 2001?? Who did you first think of when we had the anthrax attack? Do you remember him cheering after 9-11?