Posted on 05/12/2007 12:19:08 PM PDT by RDTF
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- American troops were on the hunt in a volatile region south of Baghdad for three members of a U.S.-led military patrol, who went missing after an insurgent attack Saturday that killed five others.
The U.S. military said attackers struck the team of seven U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi army interpreter.
It was unclear whether the Iraqi was among the missing or among those killed, and it is not known whether the interpreter was a soldier or a civilian employee. (Watch military spokesman describe details of the attack )
U.S. forces are using all assets in their search for the missing troops, who are listed as duty status whereabouts unknown, the military said.
Checkpoints have been established throughout the region and aircraft including helicopters, drones and jets have been deployed in the search.
The predawn attack occurred 12 miles west of Mahmoudiya, a city south of the capital in a region that has been nicknamed the Triangle of Death. (Map)
A nearby unit heard explosions, and 15 minutes later, a drone aircraft spotted two burning vehicles, according to a U.S. military statement.
"Coalition Forces are currently using every means at our disposal to find the missing Soldiers, and we will continue these efforts until all are accounted for," said a statement from military spokesman Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell.
The search is reminiscent of the hunt last June for two soldiers who were seized at a checkpoint in Yusufiya.
The two also were listed as duty status whereabouts unknown until their bodies were found three days later.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Mahmudiya needs to made an example .
Bring in the bulldozers .
Direct B-52’s to appropriate targets in the
intel list .
These people need to feel ‘the fist’
They want to play? No mercy...
Agree completely......but the President needs to be sending a message RIGHT NOW that harming prisoners will result in some we have caught going before a firing squad. Tit for tat.....all they understand.
If we stand around wringing our hands again and these three caputered Americans are murdered with no response from us, I will begin to call for our withdrawal. We either protect our own or we get the hell out.
We are not at war with the majority of people within Iraq...but with a terrorist element among them (of various natures)....
Large scale conventional responses would serve no purpose in our goals...
Regarding this incident. Our guys on the ground need time to cover this AO and get our missing guys back. The most likely reality is they were KIA at the scene (like a few past incidents).....
Further and more accurate information will come out over the next several days.
Is there already another thread on this? I didn’t find one in a search. Not sure why this was removed from the sidebar.
To formulate plans and policies for dealing with the situation in Iraq, we should be studying the British response to the Sepoy Rebellion.
I somehow agree with all of your points.
DevSix is right that punitive actions against the whole population of a town is counterproductive, unnecessairy and wrong. However there should be harsh punitive actions against terrorists.
For every murdered hostage we should execute first 5 captured terrorists, if they harm a second hostage we execute another 10 Terrorists, etc. This is an appropiate response.
Reading the war news of the recent days at least three times I read about captured terrorists getting medically treated by our troops. I understand the reasoning regarding intelligence gathering, however if you add this to the statements by General Petraues, who urged our troops to “fight fair” and the “catch and release” we’ve done during the last 3 years... and this gets really disturbing.
There will be. As there has been 99% of the time in the past. Against specific individuals and their associated groups...be that in Iraq or Stan.
There was an earlier thread, but it got into keyboard warriors comparing their respective strategies. There’s a Freeper who has a family member there that he’s trying to find out about.
Potential triple kidnapping here.... not good.
Yeah ... the Nazi's used these tactics in WWII. This might seem the proper response in the heat of the moment ... but it would bring down world wide condemnation. There are a lot hand wringing liberals out there just waiting for an opportunity to be outraged.
Not very likely. Unfortunately (depending) more then likely they were KIA at the original scene (ambush).
Not enough information yet to say exactly what happened. Our guys are moving all over that AO and will recover these guys soon...
Early reports of the QRF not reaching the scene for up to an hour lack simply makes no sense...
No. The Nazis used collective punishment. They would round up all civilian males (and at times even females) of the town and summarily execute them. This is disproportionate and criminal.
I am talking about executing captured terrorists in appropiate numbers. Terrorists who use no uniforms and don’t abide any rules don’t have the right of protected prisoner status.
If they are harmed? Remember what happened to the last two captured alive? We're not dealing with civilized opponents. I hope they're just laying low and evading, but if these three were taken alive then when they're found I'm sure the President will have some somber words to say on the evening news, but nothing else will happen.
Should this be breaking news?
May God bless them and protect them!
I can understand being taken captive if they are knocked out and wake up in chains. But when up again these savages, you always save the last bullet for yourself.
If they want to secure Baghdad...close the city..no one leaves and no one comes in....put troops in all the
exit areas...then start one end to the other.,.take all
weapons,etc. After city is secured...still- no entry
for natives...Then see what it looks like...I really
think we have to level some areas..sooner rather than
later...keep Iran for bait... JK
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