U.S. targets al-Zarqawi network, kills 16

AP | 6/19/04 | JIM KRANE

[kattracks]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — A U.S. military plane fired missiles Saturday into a residential neighborhood in Fallujah, killing at least 16 people and leveling houses there, police and residents said. A U.S. official said the target was a known hideout of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terror network.

It was the first significant U.S. military action in the city since Marines ended a bloody three-week siege against insurgents. Since the U.S. forces left, residents have said that extremist influence in the Sunni Muslim city, west of Baghdad, has only grown.

Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, coalition deputy operations chief, said the attack struck a known hideout of al-Zarqawi and that the blast caused "multiple secondary explosions" of ammunition and roadside bomb materials stored there. There was no way to confirm the U.S. claim.

U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said several members of the al-Zarqawi network were believed in the house at the time of the attack but they did not know if the terrorist mastermind himself was inside. The officials did not dispute Iraqi casualty figures.

Al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian-born militant believed to have ties to al-Qaida, has been blamed for the string of car bombs across Iraq, including the Thursday that killed 35 people and wounded 145 at an Iraqi military recruiting center in Baghdad.

President George W. Bush has cited al-Zarqawi's presence in Iraq before the April 2003 collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime as evidence of contacts between al-Qaida and the former Iraqi regime.

Elsewhere, U.S. troops battled insurgents for a fourth day near the city of Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad, in fighting that has killed at least six Iraqis and one American soldier, the U.S. military and witnesses said. In southern Iraq, a roadside bomb killed at least two people, including a Portuguese security officer.

In the Fallujah strike, at least two houses were destroyed and six others were damaged in the poor neighborhood.

The Iraqi Health Ministry said 16 people were killed, though they expected the number to rise. Residents said 20 bodies — including at least three women and five children — were taken for immediate burial, in accordance with Islamic custom, while hospitals reported at least two more dead.

"At 9:30 a.m., a U.S. plane shot two missiles on this residential area," said the Fallujah police chief, Sabbar al-Janabi, as he surveyed the wreckage. "Scores were killed and injured. This picture speaks for itself."

In Fallujah, rescue workers combed the scene, searching the rubble for other victims. Slabs of concrete and steel reinforcing bars were upended and twisted, Associated Press Television News footage showed.

Water pooled from a 20-foot crater in front of one of the destroyed houses, apparently from where one of the missiles struck. One man displayed several Qurans burned in the strikes.

Outraged residents accused the Americans of trying to inflict maximum damaged by firing two strikes — one first to attack and another to kill the rescuers.

"The number of casualties is so high because after the first missile we jumped to rescue the victims," said Wissam Ali Hamad. "The second missile killed those trying to carry out the rescue."

U.S. Marines besieged Fallujah in April after four American security contractors were killed in an ambush in the city and their bodies mutilated.

Ten Marines and hundreds of Iraqis, many of them civilians, died before the siege was lifted and security was handed over to an Iraqi volunteer force, the Fallujah Brigade.

The clashes northeast of the capital began Wednesday in Buhriz when insurgents fired on U.S. troops after they met with the mayor to discuss reconstruction projects, 1st Infantry Division spokesman Maj. Neal O'Brien said.

Buhriz is located on the outskirts of Baqouba, about 35 miles northeast of Baghdad,

Clashes have continued intermittently in the Baqouba area ever since. One American soldier died of wounds suffered Friday in Buhriz, O'Brien said.

The clashes spread Saturday to nearby Tahrir, where insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades at a U.S. patrol, wounding two U.S. soldiers, O'Brien said. The soldiers were evacuated to the 31st Combat Support Hospital.

Dr. Nassir Jawad of the Baqouba General Hospital said at least six Iraqis were killed and 54 were wounded in the Buhriz fighting. Municipal officials had said 13 Iraqis died. U.S. officials put the Iraqi death toll at 10 in the Thursday fighting and five on Friday.

In southern Iraq, a roadside bomb killed at least two people, including a Portuguese security official working for the state-run Oil Products Co. and an Iraqi policeman guarding him, police Capt. Diaa Hussein said. The Portugese Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of the Portuguese citizen, Antonio Jose Monteiro Abelha, 36.

The two were driving on a road from the southern city of Basra to nearby Zubayr when the blast destroyed their vehicle. One civilian driving behind them was also injured, Hussein said.

It was the second attack in four days against people involved in protecting Iraq's oil industry. On Wednesday, gunmen killed the security chief of the state-run Northern Oil Company, Ghazi Talabani, in Kirkuk.

Insurgents have also targeted Iraq's strategic pipeline system, cutting off all exports from the southern oilfields in bombings this week. Iraq hopes to resume partial exports this weekend.

Exports from Iraq's other field near Kirkuk were halted last month due to sabotage on the pipeline to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, Turkey.

Iraq had been exporting about 1.5 million barrels of crude oil a day through two southern pipelines, both of which were damaged. A coalition spokesman said Friday the smaller pipeline had nearly been repaired but full exports would probably not resume before Wednesday.

The pipeline attacks are part of a stepped up campaign of violence in the run-up to the June 30 transfer of sovereignty to the interim Iraqi government.

Meanwhile, New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement it would be unlawful for the United States to hold detainees, including Saddam Hussein, after the June 30 power transfer without charging them with crimes.

The U.S. military has said it will continue to hold thousands of prisoners detained since it invaded Iraq last year and that it could do so legally until a "cessation of hostilities."

"The Bush Administration can't have its cake and it too. If the occupation is over, so is the U.S. authority to detain Iraqis without criminal charges," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch.

[mastequilla]

I believe that we have reached the stage in the War on Terror where a Declaration of War is now required. Although the Congress passes the declaration, for all practical purposes it will not happen unless it is presented to them by the President. Therefore, if you agree that a declaration is needed, please contact President Bush (202-456-1111) and urge him to submit a Declaration of War to Congress

Against who? It would have been easy to declare war on Al Qaeda after 9/11, but now there are so many splinter groups that such a declaration would be meaningless. And what would it achieve?

[SaveTheChief]

Since the U.S. forces left, residents have said that extremist influence in the Sunni Muslim city, west of Baghdad, has only grown.

This is the result of a policy of "containment."

Policies of containment soon lead to implementing policies of appeasement, and we all know how well that worked for the League of Nations.

Can freedom really afford a John Kerry as President of the United States?

[MEG33]

Let's call it an early 4th of July!...;)

[nuconvert]

I noticed that, too.
Let's see Reuters decides to follow suit.

[traumer]

In which case John F. Kerry would announce that he would do the very opposite...

[Mr. Mojo]

So far no buldozers involved...

It would be nice to see the Caterpillars see some action, for sure. .......although you can be sure the UN would throw a shiite fit ;)

[Gorzaloon]

Residents said 20 bodies — including at least three women and five children — were taken for immediate burial Hastily ditched, burying the "Women and children" with their moustaches and RPG's and AK47's, in accordance with Islamic custom, while hospitals reported were bribed and intimidated to report at least two more dead.

Probably no less true. Funny how only SOME people care about women and children, though, and only some of the time.

[Howlin]

I expect all those naysayers to show up here to recant "the do nothing to avenge American deaths" mantra that has been leveled at the White House.

Are you the dreamer..........LOL

[jslade]

A Declaration of War? Against whom?

[tbpiper]

The Bush Administration can't have its cake and it too. If the occupation is over, so is the U.S. authority to detain Iraqis without criminal charges," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch

I think Mr Roth should take the Thanksgiving approach with his commentary and just stuff it.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

"Outraged residents accused the Americans of trying to inflict maximum damaged by firing two strikes — one first to attack and another to kill the rescuers."

Right. If we wanted to inflict a lot of damage we would have dropped a daisy cutter. Probably should have...

[Binghamton_native]

Well, let's let the President's advisors figure out the wording of the declaration. First, we have to have the will to seek a declaration. How would it help? There would be much more serious consequences politically and legally with regard to the type of over the top criticism that is coming from the left. Can you imagine Senator Kennedy spouting off if an official state of war existed? In addition, it would help the public to have a better grasp of the seriousness of the situation. With events as they are in Saudi Arabia, we may soon see as much as a 20% reduction in available oil. That will constitute an emergency that I believe needs to be backed up by a declaration of war.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Exactly. They always report women and children as facts. The message we should be sending to these women (who let their children stay in places with these men) is that you shouldn't hang around with terrorists.

[demnomo]

...including at least three women and five children — were taken for immediate burial, in accordance with Islamic custom, while hospitals reported at least two more dead.

Yeah? Prove it! Usually, these liars can't wait to display the bloodied bodies of their women and children so that they can weep, cry out for vengeance against the US and the Jooos while getting loads of air time on Al Jazeera TV. I think they LIE.

Even if there is a chance of some women and children being killed in the cross-fire, I say go for it, especially if there's a chance to nail Zarqawi. (sic) These 7th Century savages don't think twice before they kidnap and behead infidels or murder women and children in cars, pizza parlors, malls, etc.. The terrorist supporters' cowardly, give-in, left-wing, bleeding heart comrades can oppose these tactics all they want, while they conveniently ignore and/or excuse the barbarism of the terrorist. This is war. It's us or them...

[deport]

The Claim may not be comfirmed but the AP photos indicated something was in the area causing destruction

Sat Jun 19, 9:15 AM ET
Residents of a Fallujah, Iraq (news - web sites) neighborhood walk through the wreckage of their homes which were destroyed in a U.S. airstrike Saturday June 19, 2004. A U.S. military plane fired missiles killing at least 20 and leveling houses in the restive Sunni Muslim city of Fallujah, police and residents said. The U.S. military declined comment. (AP Photo/Abdul-Kadr Saadi)
Sat Jun 19, 9:16 AM ET
Residents of a Fallujah, Iraq (news - web sites) neighborhood walk through the wreckage of their homes which were destroyed in a U.S. airstrike Saturday June 19, 2004. A U.S. military plane fired missiles killing at least 20 and leveling houses in the restive Sunni Muslim city of Fallujah, police and residents said. The U.S. military declined comment. (AP Photo/Abdul-Kadr Saadi)
Sat Jun 19, 9:15 AM ET
A residents of a Fallujah, Iraq (news - web sites) neighborhood sifts through the wreckage of his home which were destroyed in a U.S. airstrike Saturday June 19, 2004. A U.S. military plane fired missiles killing at least 20 and leveling houses in the restive Sunni Muslim city of Fallujah, police and residents said. The U.S. military declined comment. (AP Photo/Abdul-Kadr Saadi)

[TheCrusader]

"Honestly, these reporters come across as wide-eyed babes-in-the-woods-types."

To me they come accross as seedy eyed liberals on a mission to cast doubt on the Iraq war and paint Bush as an insensitive, selfish tyrant who wants 'oil for blood'.

[Binghamton_native]

Why do we on Free Republic have to decide the wording of the declaration? I believe that we have reached the point where we need the declaration in order to make the pricce for divisive dissent greater than it is now. All I'm asking is that we urge the President to submit a declaration to Congress. He and his advisors will figure out against whom.

[Blue_Ridge_Mtn_Geek]

It would take a small step in the direction of respecting the Constitution - - - after decades of "police actions" and "executive military actions" ratified by appropriations after the fact.

[onehipdad]

And what's the point of including this?

Meanwhile, New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement it would be unlawful for the United States to hold detainees, including Saddam Hussein, after the June 30 power transfer without charging them with crimes.

The U.S. military has said it will continue to hold thousands of prisoners detained since it invaded Iraq last year and that it could do so legally until a "cessation of hostilities."

"The Bush Administration can't have its cake and it too. If the occupation is over, so is the U.S. authority to detain Iraqis without criminal charges," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch.

If the author is writing "a coupla things regarding Iraq today", shouldn't he call it that?

[YOUGOTIT]

Question is did they kill the terrorist? I do not believe that there were women and children killed, there is no way to prove that claim but by asking people who will lie to support their terrorist agenda. Of course the AP will write the story to support the terrorist just as they did the 9-11 Commission report. The left-wing fascist news-media will go to any length to dis America, the American military and our war time President. I for one am still waiting for them to admit that they lied about the 9-11 Commission report on Saddam and Al swine