Newsday (New York) April 08, 2004
Mosque under fire
Hit on third day of heated combat in what has become war against both Sunni and Shia insurgents
U.S. Marines launched a missile-and-bomb attack on a mosque compound during a third day of intense fighting in the Sunni stronghold of Fallujah yesterday, and militant Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr warned of "another Vietnam" as his militia battled coalition forces in a half-dozen cities across Iraq.
Amid some of the worst fighting since the invasion of Iraq last year, one U.S. ally - Kazakhstan - announced it was pulling out its 30-strong troop contingent. Ukrainian troops left the southern town of Kut after clashes with Sadr's militia, and Bulgaria demanded reinforcements for its soldiers in Karbala. South Korea and Japan said they were suspending their nonmilitary projects because of the risks.
"I call upon the American people to stand beside their brethren, the Iraqi people, who are suffering an injustice by your rulers and the occupying army," said al-Sadr in a statement issued from his headquarters in Najaf. "Otherwise, Iraq will be another Vietnam for America and the occupiers."
With the sudden emergence of a two-front hot war against both Sunni and Shia insurgents, casualties continued to mount. Since Sunday, 34 American soldiers have died, bringing the total of U.S. servicemen killed during the war to at least 630. In addition, an estimated 230 Iraqis have been killed in fighting since Sunday.
Pentagon officials insisted that al-Sadr, a fiery junior cleric with a power base among the poor, has little support among Iraq's Shia majority and that his militia, which they estimate at 1,000 to 6,000 fighters, poses no major threat. They said they were prepared for a confrontation after closing al-Sadr's newspaper last week and revealing that he had been charged with murdering a U.S.-leaning cleric in a warrant issued last year.
At the same time, however, they indicated that some troops may have their deployments extended to grapple with the growing violence, and warned that new surges of violence may accompany a massive influx of pilgrims to Iraq's holy cities in the next few days to celebrate a major Shia holiday.
"Some things are going well and some things are not going well," said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at a news conference in Washington. "It's certainly not a popular uprising or a movement supported by a majority of Iraqis."
While U.S. officials struggled to come to grips with the challenge from al-Sadr, Fallujah, about 30 miles west of Baghdad, remained the focus of the battle with Sunnis. Marines have cordoned off the city and have been sending in armored columns to "pacify" the population and search for suspects in the killing and mutilation of four American security consultants last week.
The attack on the Abdul-Aziz al-Samarra Mosque began when a rocket-propelled grenade fired from the grounds hit a Marine vehicle, wounding five soldiers, Marine officials said. After a six-hour gun battle, Marines called in a strike from a helicopter-fired Hellfire missile and an F-16 carrying 500-pound bombs. Conflicting reports indicated the strikes hit either a wall surrounding the mosque or the base of its minaret.
It was not clear whether the mosque itself was damaged. One Marine spokesman said there were no civilian casualties, but witnesses said 25 to 40 worshippers caught up in the battle may have been killed. U.S. officials said mosques were usually exempt from attack under international law, but not always.
"If they profane the mosque by firing from it," said Marine division commander Maj. Gen. James Mattis, "the bottom line is if you shoot at us, we're going to get tough with you."
The battle at the mosque typified a day of dirty, intense street fighting in Fallujah, one day after Marines lost 12 soldiers in a pitched battle with insurgents in the nearby Sunni city of Ramadi.
Witnesses described families huddled in their living rooms as gun battles raged outside, tanks and AC130 gunships hammering houses with suspected militants in densely populated neighborhoods, and makeshift hospitals for the wounded set up in homes.
In Shia areas of the country, the situation wasn't much better, as al-Sadr's black-clad al-Mahdi militia fighters launched attacks in both the south and, for the first time, in the north, bringing down a Kiowa helicopter with small arms fire in Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad.
In Kut, in the south, overnight gun battles between the militia and Ukrainian troops left 12 Iraqis dead. When the Ukrainian contingent pulled out with civilian coalition officials, militia members took over their base, seized weapons and planted a flag.
Militia forces also were reported to have largely taken control of the southern cities of Kufa and Karbala, and troubling signs of a union between al-Sadr's forces and Sunnis were cropping up around the country.
In Ramadi, a Sunni city, murals and graffiti praising al-Sadr's "valiant uprising" appeared on the walls of mosques and government buildings. Pro-al-Sadr demonstrations were reported in Mosul and Rashad in the north.
Violence escalates
Fighting in Iraq continued in Fallujah and broke out in the north yesterday. Casualties on all sides have mounted since Sunday's outbreak of violence.
U.S. troops clash with residents. 8 Iraqis killed.
Marines fire rocket and drop bomb on insurgents, hitting a mosque. Up to 40 Iraqis killed. Two more Marines die in fighting.
Polish troops battle with militiamen loyal to Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who is wanted by coalition forces.
U.S. helicopter forced to land after being hit by small-arms fire. No injuries.
Ukrainian troops driven out of city after clashes with al-Sadr followers. 12 Iraqis reported killed.
SOURCE: AP; GLOBALSECURITY.ORG
THE TOLL
Totals since the eruption of violence
Sunday:
U.S. forces: 34
Other coalition forces: 2
Iraqis: At least 230
TROOP STRENGTH IN IRAQ
U.S. forces 135,000
British 8,500
Other coalition forces 15,500
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