U.S. military reports first casualties in Fallujah offensive (2 US)

[LynnTheDem]

Two Marines were killed early Monday in Fallujah, the U.S. military said, making them the first casualties in the American-led offensive to retake the insurgent-held city.

The two Marines drowned when their bulldozer flipped over into the Euphrates River, the military said.

Their bodies were discovered at 8 a.m. in the river, the U.S. military said.

http://cbsnewyork.com/international/Iraq-MarineDeaths-ai/resources_news_html

[w13rd0]

1. bulldozere?

We're bulldozing buildings?

[Bluebear]

2. Probably mosques

That is where it seems the 'insurgents' are hiding.

[DELUSIONAL]

5. Gee I wonder where the US troops learned this type of

Urban warfare?

[Nihil]

14. Nope, the bulldozers are for the clean-up operation

... mass graves are so much easier with mechanized shovels ...

[VegasWolf]

17. Yes, with bulldozers you don't even have to touch the bodies!

[Cooley Hurd]

3. It appears the Marines aren't in the heart of Fallujah yet...

Jane Arraf reporting live just now - 5000 insurgents and 50,000 civilians still in Fallujah. Unsure how many Marines there are, though...

[w13rd0]

4. The reports I've seen...

...say a force of 10,000. No idea what % is US vs Iraqi NG.

[cassiepriam]

10. will the 50,000 civilians be killed?

For the love of god, what are we doing?
Another blood bath of women and children.
How can our soldiers do this?

[saigon68]

16. Its easy for trained killers to Grease "Rag-Heads"

Then after a few years at home, after the PTSD sets in, they will kill their wives, children and anyone who crosses them.

Ask Tim McVeigh--- Oh sorry can't ask him any more.

[teryang]

6. Why is it that hospitals are primary American objectives?

So far they've destroyed a hospital annex used for storage of medical supplies and occupied another hospital. According to international law, these are improper targets.

[jmatthan]

8. Because they claim that it was

the earlier source of "disinformation" about the casualities.

They do not want any news of the casualities of the Iraqis getting out when they slaughter them!!

Jacob Matthan
Oulu, Finland

[saigon68]

18. The CHIMPANZEE doesn't give a flying fuck about International Law.

Profits are what drive the BUSH CRIMINALS

[Briar]

7. And what about civilian casualties? n/t

[w13rd0]

9. Casualties?

There won't be any casualties - GWB

[maddezmom]

12. AFP- 12 killed in Fallujah bombardments: medics

FALLUJAH, Iraq (AFP) - Twelve people were killed in US air strikes and ground fire in the centre of the rebel-held Iraqi city of Fallujah, according to an official from a local medical clinic.



The official said 10 people were killed when a US aircraft bombed their house near the Faruq mosque in the centre of the Sunni Muslim bastion.


Two hours later, shells landing near a local cemetry killed two other people taking part in a funeral procession, he said Monday.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20041108/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_us_fallujah_toll&cid=1514&ncid=1480

this is the only one I found, so far. :(

[ausiedownunderground]

11. How does a heavy bulldozer "flip" into the Euphrates??

How old do you need to be to get your driver's license in America? Are some of these marines old enough to be allowed to drive heavy transportation?
I suspect that they might have run into some of the 380 tonnes of missing plastic explosive. God rest their souls! But i fear that this is going to be the first of many!
Oz "mainstream Murdoch media" completely silent on this offensive. However independent media over here reporting that there is a heavy Iraqi guerilla presence in Fallujah. Either Iraqi guerilla commanders have decided that, like the Vietcong in Hue, "urban protection" is the best terrain to conduct their fight or the US marines have badly underestimated how many Iraqi guerillas there are in Iraq! I would be very surprised if Iraqi guerilla commanders haven't moved out their "crack forces" - those being their "bombmakers" and Saddam's old Special ops forces to continue the battle another day?
Oz media also reporting that a US convoy near Baghdad airport hit by a massive "Car Bomb" recently,killing several US soldiers and injuring "heaps". They actually showed pictures of the scene and it didn't look great - Burnt out Humvees everywhere!
The report of 35 captured marines is coming out of the Chinese media - see www.chinaview.cn. Story based on the Xinhuanet media service.
However i was talking to my good muslim friend just before and he told me that Islam absolutely forbids "prisoners of war" to be killed if their captured as enemy combatants. If their collaborators, mercs or spies different story. So these Marines should be safe if the reports end up being true. He also told me that the main hospital in Fallujah is actually outside Fallujah on the West bank of the Euphrates, so if the marines have taken it their still not even in the city yet, which is actually located on the East side of the river.

[MSgt213]

13. You nailed it the insurgents are fighting a different battle then we are

[teryang]

15. Bulldozer flip

I used to watch army tracked vehicles in the field quite a bit in the late eighties.

I have observed tracks in very dangerous positions on river banks when they ride on the bank or on a berm contructed on the bank. I've seen them almost turned on their sides when recovery vehicles tied up to them and pulled them back from the fatal drop into the water.

The shoulder of the road or of a riverbank or berm may collapse because they are not engineered for such heavy weights.

I'm not saying that this is what happened but it isn't that unusual. My CUCV once almost flipped into a drainage ditch between a dike and a dirt roadbed once. It took two days to get it out.