Iraqis welcome U.S. Marines in Shatra

Reuters | Monday, March 31, 2003 | By Sean Maguire

[JohnHuang2]

Iraqis welcome U.S. Marines in Shatra

By Sean Maguire

SHATRA, Iraq, March 31 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Iraqis shouting "Welcome to Iraq" greeted U.S. Marines who entered the town of Shatra on Monday after storming it with planes, tanks and helicopter gunships.

A foot patrol picked its way through the small southern town, 35 km (20 miles) north of the city of Nassiriya, after being beckoned in by a crowd of people.

"There's no problem here. We are happy to see Americans," one young man shouted.

The welcome was a tonic for soldiers who have not always received the warm reception they expected after U.S. and British leaders told them the Iraqi people were waiting to be freed from repression under President Saddam Hussein.

"It's not every day you get to liberate people," said one delighted Marine.

As they searched the town, the Marines pushed back the excited crowd. An interpreter urged local people through a loudspeaker on a Humvee not to hinder their movements.

But as night approached with the town not fully under their control, the Marines pulled back.

It had been a day of mixed fortunes.

It began with a pre-dawn raid to try to kill senior Iraqi officials believed to be directing guerrilla attacks on U.S. troops and their supply convoys.

The ambushes have slowed the advance on Baghdad. This Marine unit retraced its steps back south down Highway 7 to Shatra after bypassing the Iraqi forces there in their rapid advance last week.

IRAQI GENERAL, FEDAYEEN FLEE

Planes dropped precision-guided bombs on four targets during the morning raid.

Tanks and armoured personnel carriers then moved to the edge of the town and helicopter gunships raked the rubble-strewn target sites with heavy machinegun fire.

The targets were the local Baath party headquarters and "associated planning sites," Marine officers said.

Having entered the town, the Marines searched without success for the body of a colleague who was killed last week and whose corpse was believed to be in a hospital in the town.

They trampled over the ruins of a local headquarters of Saddam's Baath party.

Another Baath party building across the street had been set ablaze by looters who carried away sofas from inside.

Intelligence reports had suggested that Ali Hassan al-Majeed, or "Chemical Ali," the cousin whom Saddam has put in charge of the southern front, was in the town.

But Majeed, who earned his nickname for overseeing the use of poison gas against Kurdish villagers in 1988, was nowhere to be seen.

The Marines had also received intelligence reports that an Iraqi general was holed up inside the town but arrived just too late to capture him, military officials said.

"He got away just before we got here," said company commander Captain Mike Martin. "We believe there are about 200 to 300 Baath party loyalists and Saddam Fedayeen irregulars in the town," he added.

But the Fedayeen paramilitary forces had also fled.

Marines found a light still on and the telephone ringing when they entered what was thought to be their headquarters.

[JohnHuang2]

Monday, March 31, 2003

Quote of the Day by Texas Eagle

[PhiKapMom]

We need to send this report to ABC and CNN in particular!

This is great news!

[JohnHuang2]

[JohnHuang2]

Fantastic news, my friend :)

[PBRSTREETGANG]

It surely must've pained Reuters to report this.

[JohnHuang2]

But wait a sec...didn't the media say Saddam got 150% of the popular vote last October? ;)

[JohnHuang2]

Oh, I'm sure Reuters was 'deeply, deeply saddened' at the news ;)

[GraniteStateConservative]

Daschle is duly saddened and disappointed by this. "Liberty's for losers," says Daschle.

[Illbay]

Another Baath party building across the street had been set ablaze by looters who carried away sofas from inside.

Hm. The "little people" sure are getting bold. Saddam's grip loosening?

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Coop]

Intelligence reports had suggested that Ali Hassan al-Majeed, or "Chemical Ali," the cousin whom Saddam has put in charge of the southern front, was in the town. But Majeed, who earned his nickname for overseeing the use of poison gas against Kurdish villagers in 1988, was nowhere to be seen.

According to Reuters.

[EternalVigilance]

Wonder if they answered the phone.

Yeah, they did. It was James Carville seeing if they were ready to receive the fax of the daily talking points...

[JohnHuang2]

My pleasure :)

[smith288]

Then after the we left, the civilian were quickly hanged in front of their mothers.

[Olde School]

Nice to be welcomed -- but strip search them to avoid any suicide bombers- I still don't trust these people!

[Salvation]

**The Marines had also received intelligence reports that an Iraqi general was holed up inside the town but arrived just too late to capture him, military officials said.**

Darn, next time!

[nutmeg]

bump

[Wright is right!]

"But wait a sec...didn't the media say Saddam got 150% of the popular vote last October? ;)"

Yes, and with an absolutely straight face, too.

The ringing telephone - no doubt a telemarketer selling aluminum siding. "Hah-Loh?"

What'll be interesting to me is how long it will take a Liberated Iraq to spawn a SECOND revolution - once Iraqi TV becomes saturated with Di-Tech and Bowflex commercials.

Michael

[clamper1797]

Dasshole was disappointed and saddened

[Polybius]

FEDAYEEN FLEE

When this happens in a town, then and only then, will you see the Iraqi people express themselves freely.

[headsonpikes]

"..looters who carried away sofas from inside."

Their liberation begins.

They're thinking, "Sofa...so good!"

;^)

[hchutch]

I didn't know "knock and drag" was in effect there...

[Paradox]

Marines found a light still on and the telephone ringing when they entered what was thought to be their headquarters.

"Hello, this is Terry McAuliffe, and I'm just calling to remind you to send your donations to this years Democratic Party Fundraising campaign."

[hollywood]

"It's not every day you get to liberate people," said one delighted Marine.

I nominate this for quote of the day.

[JohnHuang2]

lol

[paws_and_whiskers]

Oh, I'm sure Reuters was 'deeply, deeply saddened' at the news.

"...deeply, deeply saddened."

[paws_and_whiskers]

Oh, I'm sure Reuters was 'deeply, deeply saddened' at the news.

"...deeply, deeply saddened."

[paws_and_whiskers]

Sorry for the Daschle hiccup!

[Maeve]

That's more like vomit instead of hiccup. < G >

[AxelPaulsenJr]

The story doesn't say, but after the Marines pulled back out of the town, did anything happen? Hope all is well in the little town.

[paws_and_whiskers]

That's more like vomit instead of hiccup. < G >

Dry heaves you mean! LOL!

[Stultis]

Bump

[EllaMinnow]

Ping!

[finnman69]

I had to do a double take when I saw this was from Reuters.

[nicmarlo]

Good news for the troops morale bump!

[Axolotl]

This must be false...we are in a quagmire and this kind of thing doesn't happen in a quagmire...

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Bump and another victory for us and the oppressed Iraqi people. Note to US troops for future endeavors of this type: wipe out the Ba'athist/Communist headquarters first to show the people whose side you're on.

[JulieRNR21]

Somebody....ALERT the peaceniks & the media.....ASAP

[b4its2late]

Good news, but they must be sure not to let their guard down......

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks for GOOD News, JH2 !! . . .

SHATRA, Iraq, March 31 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Iraqis shouting "Welcome to Iraq" greeted U.S. Marines who entered the town of Shatra on Monday after storming it with planes, tanks and helicopter gunships.

A foot patrol picked its way through the small southern town, 35 km (20 miles) north of the city of Nassiriya, after being beckoned in by a crowd of people.

"There's no problem here. We are happy to see Americans," one young man shouted.

The welcome was a tonic for soldiers who have not always received the warm reception they expected after U.S. and British leaders told them the Iraqi people were waiting to be freed from repression under President Saddam Hussein.

"It's not every day you get to liberate people," said one delighted Marine.

[xm177e2]

But as night approached with the town not fully under their control, the Marines pulled back.

#%^&(#%! Now the people who came out to cheer will be killed. When we go into a city, we have to take it and hold it.

[Radix]

EV


LoL

[blackie]

Liberation ... Bump!

Let's Roll!

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Marines found a light still on and the telephone ringing when they entered what was thought to be their headquarters.

Didn't somebody say we were going to "smoke 'em out of their holes, get 'em running"?

[Toidylop]

Marines found a light still on and the telephone ringing when they entered what was thought to be their headquarters

"Shaheed, someone left a pair of wetted pants here..."

[hoyaloya]

Agree 100%. How in the world do we expect people to act when we go into a town during the day then pull out of it at night. If I lived there and didn't have a deathwish I don't think I'd be celebrating the Americans too much.

I have no military training . . . so I'm not even pretending I know the facts . . . but I thought we had all kinds of equipment making us the "masters of the night." This article, however, makes it sound like we're still fighting in Vietnam.

[HighRoadToChina]

Freedom and Liberty BUMP!

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

A foot patrol picked its way through the small southern town, 35 km (20 miles) north of the city of Nassiriya, after being beckoned in by a crowd of people.

"There's no problem here. We are happy to see Americans," one young man shouted.

I'm glad, and I hope, this continues to be the case because I don't get a warm fuzzy from this scenario. Trust, but verify.

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

Another Baath party building across the street had been set ablaze by looters who carried away sofas from inside.

But I do get a warm fuzzy over this. If the local Nazi Party HQ is being looted, that's a good sign that the locals aren't fearing anyone.