Blast in Tikrit Kills 2 U.S. Soldiers

[Sticky]

TIKRIT, Iraq - An explosion early Saturday in Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s hometown killed two American soldiers and wounded four, the U.S. military said.


The soldiers were on patrol in downtown Tikrit, north of Baghdad, when a roadside bomb exploded, said Capt. Tim Crowe of the U.S. Army.


Small arms fire erupted after the explosion.


Initial reports said six soldiers were wounded. But the military later said two of the wounded had died. The four other soldiers were evacuated to a military hospital north of Tikrit. It was not immediately unclear how serious the wounded soldiers' injuries were

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=716&e=2&u=/ap/20040313/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_explosion

[qanda]

1. Sad, so very sad!

eom

[saigon68]

16. "Bring Em On" Shouted the AWOL CHIMPANZEE

And "bring IT on" the resistance did.

2 more GOLD STAR families thanks to Halliburton and the PNAC.

Thanks McShrub, you evil piece of crap.

[alcuno]

2. May they all find peace with God.

I have many sarcastic comments buzzing around in my brain but I'm just sick of this.

[bluestateguy]

3. Disgusting

More dead soldiers on this president's watch. We need a change of leadership in Washintgton.

[flamingyouth]

4. Two more

More blood on the hands of the most corrupt and murderous administration in US history. May these two souls rest in peace.

[Chicago Democrat]

14. What a senseless waste!

Why are we sacrificing in Iraq when so much at home remains undone?

[Judi Lynn]

19. Bush claims it's also a good time to send a manned mission to Mars! n/t

[m-jean03]

20. Plus five "seriously wounded"

Guaranteed lifelong disability, nightmares, _________, ________, __________. (Fill in the blanks with PTSD symptoms of choice.)

[Mari333]

5. Is it 560 now????? Is that enough American people????

Come on you assholes out there supporting this regime is that fucking enough??? You didnt care we killed over thousands of Iraqis but is 560 dead soldiers for NOTHING enough????
WAKE THE FUCK UP YOU ASSHOLES

http://www.bringthemhomenow.com
http://www.mfso.org

[cosmokramer]

7. One was too many.

[0007]

9. indeed

[Qanisqineq]

15. 562

http://antiwar.com/casualties/

[suegeo]

21. The Reuters report only lists 385, to make the Bush Junta look better?!?

http://news.excite.com/top/article/id/256517|top|03-13-2004::10:26|reuters.html

The Tikrit blast raised to 385 the number of U.S. soldiers killed in action since the war to overthrow Saddam was launched almost a year ago, as guerrillas continue to take their toll of occupation forces even though Saddam's rule is long gone.


I guess they don't count the guys who die later from their wounds, say at a hospital in German or Stateside? They probably don't include the guys who commit suicide either.

We need to replace our "war" president asap.

[Qanisqineq]

22. 385 is probably since the END of the war

some sites only list how many died since * declared an end to the war in May.

[Barkley]

24. I remember the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1980

and the media's obsession with it!

We had 444 days non-stop reporting on the status of Americans being held hostage.

The media and the Republicans weren't shy about criticizing Carter's foreign policy and no one questioned their patriotism.

And the crisis played a major role in the 1980 election.

The big difference is today our GIs are dying for oil!

The politicians know it but won't criticize the 560+ deaths in large part for oil.


BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW!

[Just Me]

6. Sad.

Very sad.

I do sometimes wonder, though, whether many of these "roadside bombs" are actually our own stray "smart bombs" that have failed to demonstrate "intelligence". Does anyone else ever consider that possibility?

[Aidoneus]

8. that's not his hometown..

Ouja is.

At any rate, Tikritis still aren't throwing flowers in spontaneous outpourings of love for their conquerers, and probably won't any time soon. Of note, occupation forces were beating up puppet police just a couple days ago guarding Tikrit's bank.

[UpInArms]

10. I am so sorry

for all of the lives lost and ruined under the mis-leadership of our country.

I weep for their families, friends and the futures that have been destroyed and altered in ways that we will never know.

:cry:

[daleo]

11. Ironically, the Globe and Mail said Tikrit was now quite safe

in a series "Iraq, One Year Later", that it featured this week. It seems like the lull in reported deaths earlier this month may be over. Clearly, these deaths will not end until the occupation ends.

[The_Casual_Observer]

13. It is safe as long as you are inside a Bradley or Abrams

otherwise you are fair game. Strange that we don't see fluff pieces
about military mingling with the local citizens anymore. Hanging out at the local cafe, taking in all that democracy.

[lebkuchen]

12. Iraq will be a slough for the 1ID, just as for the division it's replacing

The first (newly arrived) 1ID soldier killed, a few days ago, was a 1SGT, w/adult children living stateside.

[PA Democrat]

17. Dan Rather was in Iraq this week

He interviewed Bremer, who painted such a rosy picture about how great things were going in Iraq. Right in the middle of the interview sirens went off and Bremer had to be taken to a "secure location".

Then the next day, Rather was in a convoy on a road near Ramadi, and a vehicle ahead of the one he's in, was hit with an IED and 2 soldiers were killed.

Rather also went out on a night patrol with some soldiers in Baghdad, and they were talking about all of the precautions they had to take. One was to avoid piles of garbage in the streets because they are sometimes used to hide explosive devices. I was struck by how much garbage there was all over the streets and sidewalks.

All in all, not the rosy picture Bush would have us believe.

[Mari333]

18. ya well read what I got in the mail today from my kid in Baghdad

Bremer can KISS MY ASS! the top ones to his dad, the bottom one to me:
------------------------------------------------------------------
hey pops

good, it seems that most of that city has gotten out of the stuck up bush
backing redneck phase. yea, this place is pretty big. and it is getting
bigger. they are constructing a few new buildings, one being a hospital.



yea, dan rather must have been close by here. we had a few mortars come
close, but none close enough to bother me. we didn't even know what they
were, it was like being close to a fireworks show, but not knowing where
they were. oh well, they have only done it a few times before, maybe that's
the last of it.

i'm staying safe, the worst thing that's happened was i didn't wear earplugs
at the range. won't be doing that again
------------------------------------------------------------------


hey

i am fine, just a little tired. we got mortared this morning, but nobody was hurt. i didn't even realize it until the third one exploded, so we went to the prison and sat tight, but three was all they wanted to fire. only one landed in the prison, the others landed near the city outside the gate. they really need to stop doing that. it was no big deal, we all just scratched our heads thinking 'what the hell was that?' then came the realization after i heard fizzing overhead, then figured out that it wasn't some idiot trying to blow something up outside the gate.

honestly, the mortars were the main thing i was concerned about, and after this morning, they don't really bother me. i am never out in the open, so i have nothing to worry about. i wasn't even bothered by them.

anyways, i am fine, still no mail coming in. they say it takes no time at all to get to your side, but forever to get to me. go figure.

i love you
i am wearing my vest right now, so don't worry

[Warren Stuart]

23. Sad, but at least this puts to rest one ugly rumor.

The other day there was a dubious article posted. Among other things the author tossed around the word zionist like it was poison. Furthermore he claimed that if a fatally wounded soldier was not immediately pronounced dead, that his death was not counted as a combat death. He claimed that over 1,100 soldiers died in combat.

I remember hearing about this blast, and the six wounded soldiers, I figured at least one of them was fatal. This updated report shows that this dubious article was a bunch of crap.

There are a lot of twisted minds, playing some sick games.