Battle of Samarra -- US and Iraqi forces mount morale-boosting, victorious assault

This thread is intended to be a FACTUAL counter to the zcheng propaganda thread...


US and Iraqi forces are happy with their efforts in Samarra:
"Bloodied by weeks of suicide bombings and assassinations, Iraqi security forces emerged Sunday to patrol Samarra after a morale-boosting victory in this Sunni Triangle city, and U.S. commanders praised their performance."
www.msnbc.msn.com...

This victory is important because it means that the newly trained Iraqi forces are now capable of putting down the last Baathist terrorists... which means that the democratic elections in january are much more likely to happen.


[edit on 4-10-2004 by onlyinmydreams]

[edit on 4-10-2004 by onlyinmydreams]

so everyone wants to discuss zcheng's made up nonsense... but not what actually happened?

ATS is starting to bleed credibility...

�It would be premature to say that it is wrapped up, because insurgencies have a tendency to wax and wane, but clearly, the really good news out of this is that Iraqi forces have fought alongside American forces, and ... they�ve done well,� national security adviser Condoleezza Rice said on CNN�s �Late Edition.�

Locals were angered by the civilian death toll.

Of the 70 dead brought to Samarra General Hospital since fighting erupted, 23 were children and 18 were women, hospital official Abdul-Nasser Hamed Yassin said. Another 160 wounded people also were treated.

�The people who were hurt most are normal people who have nothing to do with anything,� said Abdel Latif Hadi, 45.

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Two people quoted with attribution, Condi and a local guy. The US military commanders who said the operation was morale boosting remain anonymous, which means that it's US military quotes, not quotes from the guys who were there. It'd be interesting to hear their take on it.