US marines battle insurgents in western Iraq

[bemildred]

Nearly 50 US troops killed across Iraq since April 1, marking one of bloodiest months for military since 2003 invasion.

By Jay Deshmukh - BAGHDAD

US marines were locked in a fierce firefight with rebels who attacked government headquarters in the restive Iraqi city of Ramadi with car bombs, rockets and machine guns, the US military said Tuesday.

Insurgents launched the assault Monday from a mosque in the city, the provincial capital of the western province of Al-Anbar, scene of some of the deadliest violence since the toppling of Saddam Hussein three years ago.

The broad-daylight strike against the government building involved "multiple homicide car bombs, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machine gun and small arms fire," the US military said in a statement.

Middle East Online

[monktonman]

1. The restive city

I love how Ramadi is always refered to as the restive city.

[leftchick]

2. is it Tet yet?

won't be long now. Good thing the bases are almost done so we can now focus on Iran.

[bemildred]

3. I don't know if Iraq will have a "Tet".

The Iraqi resistance looks far different from the army that beat us in VietNam.

I'm starting to think that it's just going to be a grinding process, as long as we care to stay. The only people with a direct interest in getting us out of Iraq are the Iraqis. Everybody else in the World has greater freedom of action because we are tied down - like Gulliver in Lilliput, like Brer Rabbit with the Tarbaby - in Iraq. And the Iraqis by themselves don't have the means to force the issue in short order because of the superiority in firepower and tactical support that we enjoy.

The things I thought were interesting in this story were:

1.) As in the Baghdad situation, the Iraqis are the attackers, and appear organized and motivated.
2.) The attackers would appear to have given a good account of themselves, in both cases.
3.) The duration of the battles would suggest the absence of effective air support on the occupation side.

It seems notable that, so far, the Iraqis have not figured out how to attack the secure zones effectively, and that, for one reason of another, they have not done much about attacking the COW on its home turf lately, not since London I think.

OTOH, the increase in our casualty rate the last couple weeks does suggest that something is up, a Spring offensive of some sort.

[madmark]

6. i agree that our non-friends in the world love us being there because

of the harm its causing us; Note that our real friends, the western European democracies, are the ones most bent out of shape with our continuing occupation.

[paparush]

4. Mission Accomplished

I can't believe that vets haven't stormed the white house and dragged these vermin out by the short hairs...

[Supersedeas]

5. Mission Accomplished?