[Normando]

Segundo o site icasualties.org, já morreram 1806 soldados (em sentido amplo) dos EUA no Iraque desde o início da invasão em Março de 2003, sendo que 44 eram mulheres. Desses, 1402 (77.5%) morreram em situações hostis ou de combate, enquanto 404 (22.5%) faleceram em circunstâncias não relacionadas com o combate (acidentes, doenças, suicídios, etc). Daqueles 1402 tombados em circunstâncias violentas, 448 (32%) morreram em resultado da explosão dos designados IED (improvised explosive devices). Já ficaram feridos quase 14,000 soldados norte-americanos. Os piores meses para os EUA foram Abril de 2004 (135 mortos) e Novembro de 2004 (137 mortos). O menos mortífero foi Fevereiro de 2004 (20 mortos). Em média, morrem 62 GIs por mês no Iraque. Baghdad é, de longe, a localidade onde mais GIs morreram (400), seguida da província de Al-Anbar, Fallujah, Ramadi e Mossul. 73% dos mortos dos EUA são brancos, 11% são latino-americanos e 11% são afro-americanos. California e Texas são os estados que mais soldados perderam no Iraque. O U.S. Army foi o ramo que mais homens viu tombar (49% do total de mortos), seguido dos Marines (26%) e da National Guard (13.5%). 60% (1076) dos mortos tinham entre 21 e 30 anos, e 18% (325) tinham 18-20 anos.

[Rui Elias]

Este tópico ainda exite? :oops:

Mas desde lá para cá as perspectivas mudaram bastante.

"Terroristas" ou "resistentes", o facto é que a situação está longe de estar composta, e o governo iraquiano é um governo de papel, aprisionado na "zona verde" de Bagdad.

Como já tinha escrito, há várias resistências e várias tendências, e o início de uma guerra civil.

A Pax Americana não é efectiva.

Ontem morreram mais 7 americanos em combate, no que não pode ser encarado como um acto de terrorismo.

Mas esperemos mais um ano, para ver no que dá...

[Rui Elias]

03/08/2005 - 09h16
Explosão de bomba no Iraque mata 14 marines

da Folha Online.br

Em mais um forte golpe contra os Estados Unidos, rebeldes iraquianos mataram nesta quarta-feira 14 marines (fuzileiros navais) durante a passagem de um comboio americano pela cidade de Hadhita (220 km a noroeste da capita Bagdá). A ação, confirmada pelo Exército dos EUA, matou também um tradutor iraquiano.

Esse é o segundo maior ataque na região contra soldados americanos nos últimos três dias. Nesta segunda-feira, seis marines morreram no vale do Eufrates, também em Haditha, ao entrarem em confronto com insurgentes.


Andrea Comas/Reuters

Meninos choram a ver seu pai ser detido por americanos
Haditha é localizada da Província de Al Anbar (oeste), considerada o berço da insurgência sunita no Iraque, e uma das regiões mais perigosas do país desde que os americanos invadiram o território iraquiano, em março de 2003.

As cidades de Fallujah --um dos maiores bastiões rebeldes e uma das primeiras cidades a sofrer uma grande ofensiva americana-- e Ramadi, considerada também um reduto de insurgentes, se localizam em Al Anbar.

Ao menos 1.820 soldados americanos morreram no Iraque desde o início da guerra, em 2003, segundo estimativas do próprio Exército. No mês passado, mais de 60 militares morreram, muitos deles em Al Anbar.

Nos últimos dois meses, o Exército americano lançou duas grandes ofensivas na província, na tentativa de pôr fim na atividade insurgente da região.

http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/mund ... 6338.shtml

[dremanu]

Este tópico ainda exite? :oops:

Mas desde lá para cá as perspectivas mudaram bastante.

"Terroristas" ou "resistentes", o facto é que a situação está longe de estar composta, e o governo iraquiano é um governo de papel, aprisionado na "zona verde" de Bagdad.

Como já tinha escrito, há várias resistências e várias tendências, e o início de uma guerra civil.

A Pax Americana não é efectiva.

Ontem morreram mais 7 americanos em combate, no que não pode ser encarado como um acto de terrorismo.

Mas esperemos mais um ano, para ver no que dá...

E indo directo ao assunto...é certo que o governo Iraquiano é em grande parte só no papel, mas, o que é que vc acha que os Americanos deviam fazer de imediato para resolver a situação?

[Rui Elias]

Dremanu:

Obrigado pelas boas vindas.

Relativamente à sua questão:

Sair de lá, e entregar o problema a uma força multinacional, no quadro da ONU, e com maioria de participação de países árabes.

A Liga Árabe poderia ser um aliado de peso para a resolução do conflito.

A manutenção dos americanmos e ingleses no Iraque agravará a situação a prazo, ainda mais do que já está.

[emarques]

   
Elusive sniper saps US morale in Baghdad

Commanders weigh their options as 'Juba' notches up more kills

Rory Carroll in Baghdad
Friday August 5, 2005
The Guardian

They have never seen Juba. They hear him, but by then it's too late: a shot rings out and another US soldier slumps dead or wounded.

There is never a follow-up shot, never a chance for US forces to identify the origin, to make the hunter the hunted. He fires once and vanishes.

Juba is the nickname given by American forces to an insurgent sniper operating in southern Baghdad. They do not know his appearance, nationality or real name, but they know and fear his skill.

Article continues
"He's good," said Specialist Travis Burress, 22, a sniper with the 1-64 battalion based in Camp Rustamiyah. "Every time we dismount I'm sure everyone has got him in the back of their minds. He's a serious threat to us."

Gun attacks occasionally pepper the battalion's foot and mounted patrols, but the single crack of what is thought to be a Tobuk sniper rifle inspires particular dread.

Since February, the killing of at least two members of the battalion and the wounding of six more have been attributed to Juba. Some think it is also he that has picked off up to a dozen other soldiers.

(...)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,1 ... 24,00.html

[Luso]

More Red-on-Red
By Bill Roggio
"We have had enough of his nonsense. We don't accept that a non-Iraqi should try to enforce his control over Iraqis, regardless of their sect -- whether Sunnis, Shiites, Arabs or Kurds.''
- Sheik Ahmad Khanjar, leader of the Sunni Albu Ali clan, referring to Abu Musab al Zarqawi


Red-on-red incidents between al Qaeda and Sunni insurgents are nothing new in Anbar province. We saw numerous instances of this when al Qaeda attempted to impose its will on the Sunnis in Qaim along the Syrian border. However the Washington Post provides a new twist to the internecine warfare between the foreign jihadis and local Sunni fighters. Sunnis have taken up arms against al Qaeda to protect their Shiite neighbors [hat tip Rantburg]. In Ramadi.

Rising up against insurgent leader Abu Musab Zarqawi, Iraqi Sunni Muslims in Ramadi fought with grenade launchers and automatic weapons Saturday to defend their Shiite neighbors against a bid to drive them from the western city, Sunni leaders and Shiite residents said. The fighting came as the U.S. military announced the deaths of six American soldiers.
Dozens of Sunni members of the Dulaimi tribe stablished cordons around Shiite homes, and Sunni men battled followers of Zarqawi, a Jordanian, for an hour Saturday morning [note - Omar states this is Iraq's largest tribe]. The clashes killed five of Zarqawi's guerrillas and two tribal fighters, residents and hospital workers said. Zarqawi loyalists pulled out of two contested neighborhoods in pickup trucks stripped of license plates, witnesses said [note – to put it more plainly, al Qaeda had to run away!].

The leaders of four of Iraq's Sunni tribes had rallied their fighters in response to warnings posted in mosques by followers of Zarqawi. The postings ordered Ramadi's roughly 3,000 Shiites to leave the city of more than 200,000 in the area called the Sunni Triangle. The order to leave within 48 hours came in retaliation for alleged expulsions by Shiite militias of Sunnis living in predominantly Shiite southern Iraq.

"We have had enough of his nonsense," said Sheik Ahmad Khanjar, leader of the Albu Ali clan, referring to Zarqawi. "We don't accept that a non-Iraqi should try to enforce his control over Iraqis, regardless of their sect -- whether Sunnis, Shiites, Arabs or Kurds.''


Zarqawi is in a bind. His plan to foment civil war between Sunnis and Shiites is now being opposed by his Sunni "allies". Sunni tribes are tiring of his violence against fellow Iraqis, even against non-Sunnis. Al Qaeda must stop the election to ratify the constitution to further deny the Iraqi government legitimacy. Sunni clerics are beginning to encourage their followers to vote. Zarqawi responds by using the only tools he understands – threats, intimidation, violence.

Zarqawi's movement posted statements in Ramadi pledging to kill Sunni clerics in the west for urging Sunnis to take part in the country's next elections.
"We, al Qaeda in Iraq, announce that we will apply the religious punishment for apostasy upon whoever calls for creation of the constitution. You, preacher at the podium of prophecy, be a speaker of truth, doer of good and rallier for the rule of sharia," or Islamic law, the statement said.


In the eyes of al Qaeda, all who oppose them are infidel, even their natural allies such as Sunni preachers in Iraq who oppose the US presence. This will ultimately be Zarqawi and al Qaeda's undoing, provided the West can muster the political will to continue the fight.

É bom ver os iraquianos de diferentes "fés" a colaborar para meter o Zarqawi na ordem. Assim sim.

[Normando]

A ser verdade este episódio em Ramadi só nos podemos regozijar. É absolutamente notável e encorajador que sunitas peguem em armas contra o facínora do Zarqawi para protegerem os moradores Xiitas. Isto é precisamente o contrário do que o cabeçilha da Al-Qaeda no iraque almejava e mostra ao mundo que os Iraquianos (Sunitas, Xiitas, Cristãos, etc) estão fartos e não são estúpidos. Espero sinceramente que esta oposição a Zarqawi ganhe repercussão e se reproduza noutras regiões iraquianas de maioria sunita. Basta de jihadistas fanáticos a massacrar crianças inocentes ao tentar atingir o soldado dos EUA que lhes entrega guloseimas; basta de atentados contra fieis que oram nas mesquitas; basta de bombas-humanas contra hospitais e pessoal hospitalar que acodem aos feridos de um atentado anterior; basta...

[Miguel]

Iraque vai a votos hoje!

[TOMKAT]

Notícia do Sunday Times de hoje.

Um Oficial da RAF vai enfrentar um tribunal militar por se recusar a ir para o Iraque por acreditar que a guerra no Iraque é ilegal.

É o 1º oficial britânico a enfrentar uma acusação criminal por questionar a legalidade da guerra no Iraque.

Já tinha participado em operações quer no Afganistão quer no Iraque,
mas depois de estudar os aspectos legais da guerra, recusou-se a regressar ao Iraque.

Notícia completa em
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1828054,00.html

[Normando]

Fotos captadas após um IED ter atingido um Humvee:

http://www.ogrish.com/archives/attack_o ... _2005.html

Segundo a legenda, a explosão causou pelo menos um morto e um ferido grave.

Desde já vos digo que não se vêem corpos ou cadáveres, mas as imagens são bem demonstrativas do poder destrutivo dos explosivos improvisados usados contras os comboios militares no Iraque

[Normando]

Pequeno video alegadamente mostrando vítimas (cinco) de Juba, disponivel para download em:

http://www.ogrish.com/archives/baghdad_ ... _2005.html

[Luso]

O Canal 1 (pago pelos contribuintos) difundiu no Jornal das 20h00 uma "peça de reportagem" sobre o uso de "armas químicas" pelos Estados Unidos no Iraque, com entrevistas de "ex-militares" que viveram os combates no Iraque. E a arma química foi...

Tchan, tchan!!!!

-Fósforo Branco!
-WP!
-Willy Pete!

Pelos vistos, e pelo mesmo critério, a pólvora e a gasolina também serão armas químicas.
E a notícia dada com sensacionalismo.
Falsos. Falsos...

[emarques]

O Canal 1 (pago pelos contribuintos) difundiu no Jornal das 20h00 uma "peça de reportagem" sobre o uso de "armas químicas" pelos Estados Unidos no Iraque, com entrevistas de "ex-militares" que viveram os combates no Iraque. E a arma química foi...

Tchan, tchan!!!!

-Fósforo Branco!
-WP!
-Willy Pete!

Pelos vistos, e pelo mesmo critério, a pólvora e a gasolina também serão armas químicas.
E a notícia dada com sensacionalismo.
Falsos. Falsos...

Isso é produto da RAI. Já chegou cá? Bolas, quando querem trabalham depressa.

[Normando]

Odd Happenings In Fallujah
By Dahr Jamail
19 January, 2005

“The soldiers are doing strange things in Fallujah,” said one of my contacts in Fallujah who just returned. He was in his city checking on his home and just returned to Baghdad this evening.

Speaking on condition of anonymity he continued, “In the center of the Julan Quarter they are removing entire homes which have been bombed, meanwhile most of the homes that were bombed are left as they were. Why are they doing this?”

According to him, this was also done in the Nazal, Mualmeen, Jubail and Shuhada’a districts, and the military began to do this after Eid, which was after November 20th.

He told me he has watched the military use bulldozers to push the soil into piles and load it onto trucks to carry away. This was done in the Julan and Jimouriya quarters of the city, which is of course where the heaviest fighting occurred during the siege, as this was where resistance was the fiercest.

“At least two kilometers of soil were removed,” he explained, “Exactly as they did at Baghdad Airport after the heavy battles there during the invasion and the Americans used their special weapons.”

He explained that in certain areas where the military used “special munitions” 200 square meters of soil was being removed from each blast site.

In addition, many of his friends have told him that the military brought in water tanker trucks to power blast the streets, although he hadn’t seen this himself.

“They went around to every house and have shot the water tanks,” he continued, “As if they are trying to hide the evidence of chemical weapons in the water, but they only did this in some areas, such as Julan and in the souk (market) there as well.”

He first saw this having been done after December 20th.

Again, this is reflective of stories I’ve been told by several refugees from Fallujah.

Just last December, a 35 year-old merchant from Fallujah, Abu Hammad, told me what he’d experienced when he was still in the city during the siege.

“The American warplanes came continuously through the night and bombed everywhere in Fallujah! It did not stop even for a moment! If the American forces did not find a target to bomb, they used sound bombs just to terrorize the people and children. The city stayed in fear; I cannot give a picture of how panicked everyone was.”

“In the mornings I found Fallujah empty, as if nobody lives in it,” he’d said, “Even poisonous gases have been used in Fallujah - they used everything - tanks, artillery, infantry, poison gas. Fallujah has been bombed to the ground. Nothing is left.”

In Amiriyat al-Fallujah, a small city just outside Fallujah where many doctors from Fallujah have been practicing since they were unable to do so at Fallujah General Hospital, similar stories are being told.

Last month one refugee who had just arrived at the hospital in the small city explained that he’d watched the military bring in water tanker trucks to power blast some of the streets in Fallujah.

“Why are they doing this,” explained Ahmed (name changed for his protection), “To beautify Fallujah? No! They are covering their tracks from the horrible weapons they used in my city.”

Also last November, another Fallujah refugee from the Julan area, Abu Sabah told me, “They (US military) used these weird bombs that put up smoke like a mushroom cloud. Then small pieces feel from the air with long tails of smoke behind them.”

He explained that pieces of these bombs exploded into large fires that burnt peoples skin even when water was dumped on their bodies, which is the effect of phosphorous weapons, as well as napalm. “People suffered so much from these, both civilians and fighters alike,” he said.

My friend Suthir (name changed to protect identity) was a member of one of the Iraqi Red Crescent relief convoys that was allowed into Fallujah at the end of November.

“I’m sure the Americans committed bad things there, but who can discover and say this,” she said when speaking of what she saw of the devastated city, “They didn’t allow us to go to the Julan area or any of the others where there was heavy fighting, and I’m sure that is where the horrible things took place.”

“The Americans didn’t let us in the places where everyone said there was napalm used,” she added, “Julan and those places where the heaviest fighting was, nobody is allowed to go there.”

On 30 November the US military prevented an aid convoy from reaching Fallujah. This aid convoy was sent by the Iraqi Ministry of Health, but was told by soldiers at a checkpoint to return in “8 or 9 days,” reported AP.

Dr. Ibrahim al-Kubaisi who was with the relief team told reporters at that time, “There is a terrible crime going in Fallujah and they do not want anybody to know.”

With the military maintaining strict control over who enters Fallujah, the truth of what weapons were used remains difficult to find.

Meanwhile, people who lived in different districts of Fallujah continue to tell the same stories.

Outro:

My first impression was that Jamail's eyewitness might have been describing one of the "non-lethal" chemical weapons of the type the Russians reluctantly admitted they had deployed during the Chechen hostage rescue attempt that subsequently killed 117 hostages along with the Chechen terrorists.

Um Marine que esteve nos combates em Novembro 2004 ("Operação Phantom Fury"):

"In preparation for the assault, artillery guns dropped white phosphorus or Willy Pete on the city. (...) As the rounds came in, they burst in the air several hundred feet above the ground. They streaked towards the ground in little spider trails burning bright orange. The WP hit the ground creating a thick white smoke screen but it still burned bright orange on the ground. This lit up the battlefield for the main effort, and created a smoke screen."