U.S. Warplanes Strike Fallujah; Two Troops Killed

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=716&e=5&u=/ap/20041212/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq - American warplanes pounded Fallujah with missiles Sunday as insurgents fought running battles with coalition forces in the volatile western Iraqi city. The U.S. military said two troops died in separate incidents.


Meanwhile, a large swath of Iraq (news - web sites) lost electricity Sunday after a fire erupted in a major power plant north of Baghdad. Prime Minister Ayad Allawi called the fire an accident, but accused guerrillas of hurting Iraqis with attacks on infrastructure. The capital went dark at about 4 p.m. and power was still out at 7 p.m. The only lights came from the Green Zone and a few other places that have their own generators.


Several detained leaders of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime began refusing meals in apparent protest against their upcoming trials, U.S. military officials and a lawyer said. Former Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein was not among them.


In Jordan, Saddam's attorneys argued ahead of Monday's first anniversary of his capture that the former president was being held illegally by U.S. and Iraqi authorities.

more

[livinbella]

1. We POUNDED 'em with missles!

Because poundin' innocent people is the American way.
bush lovers wet their pants every time they hear how
we pounded them.

[wtmusic]

4. We pounded Fallujah

what you won't hear is "we killed 27 civilians in a missile attack".

We just pounded a town.

[leftchick]

2. sure, kill every "raghead" in Iraq.....

because that is the 'christian' way! :puke:

[KingChicken]

3. Mission Accomplished anyone? nt

[joanski01]

5. I thought there was nothing left

in Fallujah except dogs and cats eating dead bodies. What are we doing now -- bombing dogs and cats? I just can't stand this any longer! I wonder how many people the Bushivics have driven crazy with depression. Why are they allowed to continue this massacre? Why isn't there a military coup against these criminals? Gotta call my shrink!!!

[bemildred]

6. Well, it's not a "former insurgent bastion" now.

It's back to "volatile western Iraqi city".

[Ian David]

7. It's not two TROOPS! It's two SOLDIERS!

Do not look Carl Rove directly in the eyes!

Soldiers.

Say it with me: Soldiers.

American soldiers.

Americans.

Not troops.

Never ever refer to them individually as troops.

We send our troops. We lose our soldiers.

No more Rove-speak.

[tabasco]

8. Troop = soldier in my vocabulary.

I was in the Army for twelve years. Being called a troop doesn't bother me.

[Raskolnik]

9. Um, you know that "troops" is actually the correct term, right?

"Troops" is inclusive of people serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. "Soldiers" is not.

Of all the things to be upset about in this story, you picked the wrong one.

[Ian David]

10. Correct or not, it's conveniently de-sensitizing

It's like calling civilian casualties "collateral damage."

Or calling global warming "climate change."

Correct or not, please don't do it.

When you talk about it, you want people to remember they're PEOPLE.

Keep it real and visceral.

[Raskolnik]

11. If you're going to nit-pick...

...then you have to be right.

The use of the word "troops" is correct. Your proposed use of "soldiers" in its place would not be correct.

[Kokonoe]

13. troops are a group of soldiers

to write two troops died, well that would be a lot of soldiers.

[Just Me]

12. Control them by "pacifying" them with violent destruction.

Our neoCONfascists have links to this tool of the trade. Wreak total destruction and havoc,...ask the "Prince of Darkness",...he has a book on the shelves advocating death and destruction,...just like the Nazis who touched his life.

BTW why the hell are Saddam's crew enjoying a better life than the 100,000 Iraqis who are dead and the millions of Iraqi people who are being forced to endure a horrific existence?

[Erika]

14. A lesson from my marine nephew serving in Iraq

Before he left, I asked him how it felt to be a soldier. His answer was most terse "Mam, I'm not a soldier, I am a Marine".

Troops embraces all. The marines, the seamen, the Air Force, etc.

Believe me, marines are marines.

[Tinoire]

15. Factoid on poor, tiny Fallujah - It's less than 6 square miles...

You can walk across it in 30 minutes. I can't believe how much of a pounding they've taken.



Good aerial views (to include damage) can be seen here: http://cryptome.org/fallujah-kill7.htm

http://cryptome.org/ikz-eyeball.htm (with thanks to Gary173 who signed up last week just to post those and who I hope will post more)