U.S., Iraq Forces Claim Success in Samarra

[Rose Siding]

SAMARRA, Iraq - U.S. and Iraqi forces battled pockets of resistance in Samarra on Saturday, shaking the city with sporadic gunfire as U.S. and Iraqi commanders claimed success in their two-day-old offensive to regain control of the Sunni insurgent stronghold.
......
Iraqi Defense Minister Hazem Shaalan claimed success, telling the Arab television station Al-Arabiya: "It is over in Samarra."
......
Samarra, 60 miles northwest of Baghdad, appeared mostly calm Saturday — except for in the center, where residents said American snipers on rooftops fired at anybody appearing in the streets below. Residents in outlying areas emerged from their homes for the first time to survey the damage.

Many bodies were strewn in the street but could not be collected for fear of the snipers, while others were buried in people's gardens, residents said. A 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew was in effect, and water and electricity services were severed.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=1&u=/ap/20041002/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

[54anickel]

1. An example of the good news push? That headline is a lot more

optimistic than the actual article.

[sr_pacifica]

14. Yes

The article is actually much more questioning of U.S. military reports concerning Iraqi casualties and its reporting of efforts to protect civilians. From the headline you would just think you were just going to read a lot of b.s. about the success (from U.S. perspective) of the offensive.

[Lindacooks]

2. Many bodies were strewn in the street but could not be collected for fear

of the snipers, while others were buried in people's gardens, residents said. A 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew was in effect, and water and electricity services were severed.

That's 'success'? Jesus, what would be failure?

[Cerridwen]

3. 2 words - "Mission Accomplished" ----- B.S.! n/t

[mitchtv]

5. said Gen. Westmoreland er...Abizaid

.

[livinbella]

4. this is horrible

[Darranar]

6. Over a hundred dead - a brilliant success indeed. n/t

[Union Thug]

7. Bring 'em on!

I hate george bush. I really do. He is should be held personally responsible for every death.

[Fovea]

8. ahh more catastrophic sucess

how lucky we are!

Now how do we return Sammara to the state of a city, as opposed to a free fire zone, ruled by snipers?

What Imperial Hubris, what a collosal triumph for a blood blinded Mars.
What a terrible price to make one small meglomanic, and a trench full of swine happy.

[Career Prole]

9. Hope they leave the "Mission Accomplished" banner in the Hummer.

This is just an example of the administration push to "force" a good impression of the war. It ain't gonna work.

[Wright Patman]

10. Since it is obvious that genocide

is the only way "Western" interests will ever be able to drill for oil in peace, why don't the American reptile forces just do it more efficiently through sterilization and associated biological weaponry.

As it is now, I think the Iraqis, not to mention other Arabs and Muslims, are reproducing far more rapidly than "the few, the proud, the reptiles" are killing them off.

[genius]

11. So they go in there and kill the people and that's a success.

[cal04]

12. not only killed them but left them with no water or electricity

Water and electricity supplies in Samarra are reported to have been cut off, and the main hospital says it is short of bandages and oxygen.Many bodies were strewn in the street. "They are buried in the gardens of their homes," Ali Abdul-Latif told the Associated Press news agency.

Witnesses in the centre of the city have spoken of American snipers shooting at anyone who appeared on the streets.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3709188.stm

[0007]

13. This is unfuckingbelievable!

[NNN0LHI]

15. They hate us for our freedom n/t

[JoFerret]

16. Mourning Iraqis blame US troops for massacre of children

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/276/world/Mourning_Iraqis_blame_U_S_troo:.shtml

...the story refers to the bombings in Baghdad. I am sure they feel the same way about those killed in the assaults on terrorists and insurgents.

What horrors are being inflicted in our name? And the collateral damage on our troops required to commit outrages upon civilian populations.

[leftchick]

17. War Crimes..."water and electricity services were severed. "

aren't the Israelis using this terrorist tactic as well in Gaza Today?

[Disturbed]

18. Death and Destruction is Success!

This will continue for the next 6 months. The objective is to crush the spirit of the Iraq people and force them to accept US Colonization.

If al Sadr who now has the blessing of al Sistani runs for PM al Sadr will win.

[jumpstart33]

20. The Israelis us this tactic everyday, in every Palestinian territory.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/8F50ED53-04B6-4ADA-A52C-CB19EE1020F3.htm

It is really so sad that the rest of the world just allows this to happen. The world did when Nazi Germany was doing it, now the victims of that holocaust are carrying out their own holocaust. Rwanda, Dafur, how do we claim to be a civilized nation and allow these things to happen...no and CAUSE these things to happen?

[jumpstart33]

19. If mass murder and genocide is success, them the US was successful

They just use the name "Iraqi forces" but you should know that most of the killing and bombing was done by the US. It's all a ploy to make you believe that we are accomplishing our mission in turning over security to the Iraqis. It's all bullshit. We are just killing people en-masse and calling it fighting.

[The_Casual_Observer]

21. They have done this before in Samarra. And after a short time

They are driven out again, and the police are shot or bombed. How many times will they tell us they have "taken" Samarra?

This is a nightmare.

[Eye and Monkey]

22. "CLAIM" - the operative word in the headline is "claim".

[wellst0nev0ter]

23. Sure, They May Have "Won" The City

But with the limited troop levels, they can only control the city for so long before they have to move elsewhere, which means we'll quickly find ourselves back to square one, only this time we left even more people with blood lusts for US occupiers.