BBC Radio: US Major Assault in Mosul

[G_j]

BBC World Service:
1000 troops. No link yet...

edit, link here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4618049,00.html

U.S., Iraqi Troops Begin Mosul Operations

Tuesday November 16, 2004 8:46 AM


MOSUL, Iraq (AP) - The U.S. military said Tuesday that American and Iraqi troops have started operations to secure parts of Mosul from insurgents.

U.S. troops and Iraqi security forces began moving in to secure police stations in the western part of the city, said Capt. Angela Bowman, with Task Force Olympia. Mosul is the third largest city in Iraq.

``We are in the process of securing all of police stations and returning the police to these stations to implace a strong police presence,'' she said. ``Some of those stations are in neighborhoods on the western side of the city where there has been insurgent activity and presence. We are now moving through the neighborhood.''

The city's five bridges were closed off with the start of operations, she said.

..more..

[ogradda]

1. where is mosul

exactly? i know it's in iraq but where in relation to baghdad?

[Qanisqineq]

4. it is north

outside the Sunni triangle

[burrowowl]

2. Shortwave?

for international?

[G_j]

5. our local public station

plays BBC World Service from midnight to 5am.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Just found this item in the Sydney Morning Herald.....

Operation to secure Mosul underway
November 16, 2004 - 7:24PM


American troops have started operations to secure parts of northern Mosul from insurgents.

The assault, involving about 1,200 US troops, aims to wrest control of the west bank of the northern Iraqi city from rebels.
(snip)

He said the US troops would try to retake a dozen police stations abandoned or overrun by insurgents during a string of attacks last week.

Mosul, 370km north of the capital, has suffered a spike in lawlessness as rebels flocked to the city following a US-Iraqi assault on the Sunni Muslim bastion of Fallujah.

An AFP correspondent embedded with the troops said the US military had closed all five bridges in the city and set up concrete and barbed wire barricades.
(snip/...)

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Operation-to-secure-Mosul-underways/2004/11/16/1100574462117.html
(Free registration is required)

[laheina]

7. Something tells me that this is going to be like a game of

whack-a-mole. :(

[Judi Lynn]

6. Here's a small map.

This one is more detailed:

[ogradda]

10. thanks

it helps when i can visualize it.

[burrowowl]

12. Mosul has a bigger

population than Fallujah. Should be interesting and in the Kurd area close to Turkey.

[G_j]

14. "We are now moving through the neighborhood.''

more civilian deaths, winning hearts and minds.

[leftchick]

17. more than 600,000 people....

and a large Kurd population. This is madness... :(

[FM Arouet666]

8. Mission Accomplished

This war will be the Soviet Afghan war all over again. Just as the Muslims fought tooth and nail against the Soviet aggressor, they will do so again with the US. We supported the Mujahideen, and the insurgents are supported by sympathetic Muslims throughout the middle east. The trouble is, the Soviets lost. This administration needs to beg, borrow or buy a damn clue.

[saigon68]

9. "BRING EM ON" shouted the AWOL CHIMPANZEE

As he prepared to attack IRAN

[G_j]

11. License to Kill

oh how he loves his "mandate".

[saigon68]

16. That "Mandate" is going to get a lot of sweet people KILLED

But then I forgot he is a 'CHRISTIAN" and the mission of said "CHRISTIANS", in Fallujagrad and Mosulgrad, is to kill "RAG-HEADS" per crusade leader pres r. cheney.

[Judi Lynn]

13. Here's a new bit of information with numbers.

Last Updated: Tuesday, 16 November, 2004, 08:44 GMT



US launches major Mosul assault

The US military in Iraq says it has begun a big assault on insurgents in the northern city of Mosul.
One military spokesman said more than 1,000 soldiers were to be deployed.

Attacks on the Americans and their Iraqi allies flared in Mosul almost a week ago when several police stations were seized or destroyed by insurgents.

The US military said on Saturday it had diverted 500 troops to Mosul, Iraq's third largest city, from the major operation to take control of Falluja.
(snip/)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4015431.stm

[G_j]

15. thank you

this is the story I heard.

[leftchick]

18. An account from Mosul over the last few days...

http://www.islamonline.net/english/In_Depth/Iraq_Aftermath/2004/11/article_06.shtml

~snip~

By Sunday afternoon, the fighting had started. We heard of Iraqi security forces, backed by US troops deploying in various parts of the city. Two police stations were said to have been retaken from the fighters. It seemed the fighters had a tactic, called by US newspapers bait and switch. Lure the enemy in by appearing to withdraw, or disappear.

Then they struck back. As Iraqi security forces set up roadblocks, these fighters ambushed them and killed at least one security soldier. The Iraqi security withdrew from the area and closed off all roads leading to it. US helicopters hovered overhead.

These fighters said they would execute anyone who helped the occupation forces. We heard of some Kurdish officers being killed but there was no way to verify it.

Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi has threatened to turn Mosul into Fallujah. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

[ausiedownunderground]

19. 1,200 american troops- no major assault!

Mosul is big! This is a city of 2 million people! This is Iraq's most multi-ethnic city,its got all of them from Turkman to Kurd. This city, with Kirkuk is "Bushco's" worst nightmare. If "Bushco" and his "Semper-Fi" Buddies thought that Fallujah was hard these cities will defeat them. Thats why there are only 1,200 US forces running to support the "Stryker" garrison. If Mosul and Kirkuk go "Off" the US will not be able to do anything. Turkey might? Then Iraq get's really ugly. Osama Bin Laden will be smiling in his cave somewhere!

[Wright Patman]

20. Osama's living in luxury

as all billionaire CIA-connected opium kingpins do. Al-CIAda leaders do not live in caves.

[G_j]

21. BBC story

referred to this a "major" assault. However it is certainly a smaller number of troops than those used in Fallijah.

[maddezmom]

22. AP:U.S., Iraqi Troops Launch Mosul Offensive

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. and Iraqi troops pushed into insurgent-heavy neighborhoods and stormed police stations in Mosul on Tuesday, launching an offensive to retake parts of this northern Iraqi city where militants staged a mass uprising last week in support of insurgents in Fallujah.



Mosul's five bridges were closed to start the operation and American forces began securing police stations in the western part of Iraq (news - web sites)'s third-largest city, said Capt. Angela Bowman, with Task Force Olympia.


"We are in the process of securing all of police stations and returning the police to these stations to put in place a strong police presence," she said. "Some of those stations are in neighborhoods on the western side of the city where there has been insurgent activity and presence. We are now moving through the neighborhood."


About 1,200 U.S. soldiers were taking part in the offensive to recapture about a dozen police stations abandoned by Iraqi forces after an uprising that sprung up following the U.S.-led attack on Fallujah in a week-old operation that has left at least 38 American troops and six Iraqi soldiers dead. American officials estimate that 1,200 insurgents have been killed in the Fallujah fighting.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=716&e=2&u=/ap/20041116/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

[Fleshdancer]

25. 3rd largest city. Uprising. Only 1200 troops?

I hope I'm wrong, but does anyone else sense a suicide mission for our troops? May they have all the armor and equipment they need...although, I would rather bring them home where they belong but that's not going to happen anytime soon.

:grr:

[livinbella]

29. enough troops to seal the bridges

Maybe they think Mosul needs a good pounding from above.
A little preemptive war hell ride to keep the natives
from getting too uppity!

I hope this is not the case.

[DS1]

23. Implace? Is that anything like embiggened?

:shrug:

[Fleshdancer]

24. What? Does this mean we're fighting Kurds now??

I thought the Northern cities would be the least of our worries. Granted, I came to that conclusion early on in this insane war but so much crap has happened, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I hate this. I hate that it happened and I hate that my tax dollars are supporting it.

[maddezmom]

26. check out this earlier DU link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=989648

[maddezmom]

27. BostonGlobe-Kurds' separatist ambitions pose challenge to Iraq unity

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=988674

[Barrett808]

28. "We are in the process of securing all of police stations"

"We are in the process of securing all of police stations and returning the police to these stations to put in place a strong police presence," she said. "Some of those stations are in neighborhoods on the western side of the city where there has been insurgent activity and presence. We are now moving through the neighborhood."

Umm, didn't the police abandon the stations without a fight? And didn't the insurgents plunder and torch the police stations?

Who is there to "return"? What is there to return to?

[livinbella]

31. They better look for booby traps

[catmandu57]

32. Empty looted buildings

what value do they have? It sounds like we are attempting to stomp down harder in the Iraqis, I wouldn't want to be there when the county as a whole wakes up.

There won't be enough bullets or bombs.

[springhill]

30. City by city?

Is that what they are planning on doing? What happens when the "insurgents" or freedom fighters re-enter a city the US has alread flattened and left? Do the just keep making the rounds?

[maddezmom]

33. more death and destruction

U.S. warplanes and helicopters hovered over Mosul — Iraq (news - web sites)'s third largest city, with about 1 million residents — as loud explosions and gunfire were heard. About 1,200 U.S. soldiers were taking part in the offensive to recapture about a dozen police stations abandoned by Iraqi forces in the uprising.


Mortars struck two areas near the main government building in the city center, killing three civilians and injuring 25 others, hospital officials said. A car bomb exploded near a U.S. convoy in a Sunni Arab neighborhood of western Mosul, wounding one U.S. soldiers, the military said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=1&u=/ap/20041116/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

[reprobate]

34. Hey George! Kinda like nailing jello to a tree, huh?

Hey, Big Guy. This should go just about like all the other things you've done with your life. It'll wind up hurting other people, while you just profit from it.

On the other hand, some believe in the concept of Karma. I know it means nothing to you, but it's the idea that, put in words your incurious mind can comprehend, what goes around comes around.

Check your bible. "As you sow, so shall you reap."

What that means, Lil Boots, is that the universe is gonna apply a good asswhooping to your unholy butt.

[justgamma]

35. What happened to Mosul?

I had 2 nephews stationed there last year and it was the most stable place to be over there. Very few attacks.

[VegasWolf]

36. Bush loves his whack a mole game, gets to kill 100 innocents for

each one that pops up.