NewsMine — war-on-terror — iraq — insurgency — 2004 — 04-april — Viewing Item

US bombed iraqi mosque wall Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/07/fallujah.strike/ http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/07/fallujah.strike/ Marines: U.S. bombed Iraqi mosque wall BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The U.S. military dropped two 500-pound bombs on a wall surrounding a mosque compound in Fallujah, but the Muslim house of worship was not the target, a U.S. Marine source in Al Anbar province said. "We specifically did not target the mosque as we felt we could engage the enemy in the area with disciplined and well-aimed fire from our Marines without needing to cause extensive damage to the mosque and surrounding structures," the source said. "This mosque was repeatedly used as a base to target Iraqi and coalition forces throughout the day," the source said. "The breach of the wall was a graduated response to the threat." The source could not provide a casualty report, but said that if there were "enemy" casualties at the Abdul Aziz Shakir Mosque it was the result of gunfire from U.S. Marines' rifles. Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said U.S. Marines were taking heavy arms fire from about 40 armed insurgents in the mosque. Marines, pinned down, dropped two precision-guided 500-pound bombs on the walls of the mosque and fired a Hellfire missile. "It didn't appear to us," Kimmitt said, "to have any effect on the main dome building itself." The wall is a few hundred yards from any structure, the source said, and the mosque building was not damaged. Muslims consider all of a mosque's compound as the mosque because worshippers gather on the grounds if the structure is full. Insurgents "firing from the mosque blatantly misused a protected symbol by conducting offensive military operations from a place of worship," the source said. "As a result, the mosque lost its protected status and therefore became a lawful military target." Initially, media reports stated witnesses said the strike killed 40 people.

20 gis 100 iraqis killed since weekend 4 troops killed in volatile iraqi province 7 us soldiers killed 25 wounded in baghdad { April 4 2004 } 76 troops die in iraq fighting first two weeks of april American jets strike us marines deadly friendly fire { March 30 2004 } Anarchy across iraq Broad shiite revolt contradicts whitehouse stand { April 8 2004 } Child killed in falluja [jpg] Children die in basra blast { April 21 2004 } Coalition soldier killed near najaf Contractor killings will not go unpunished Coverup over missiles hitting police stations { April 21 2004 } Deadly week ends in tears for fallen { April 15 2004 } Decision on falluja attack near { April 25 2004 } Eleven us soldiers die at revolt at syrian border Falluja siege traps injured children { April 8 2004 } Fallujah ceasefire extended Fighting reported fallujah explosion in baghdad Firefights erupt in fallujah najaf { April 26 2004 } Five soldiers killed in iraqi base attack Group demands end of fallujah seige for hostage life Helicopter crashed in falluja { April 13 2004 } Incendiary cleric braces his militia for invasion { April 6 2004 } Insurgents display new sophistication { April 14 2004 } Iraq toll higher than expected Italy vows to stay despite hostage killing Line between militias civilians blurred Masked shiites protest [jpg] Massacre in fallujah on april 15 Military launches major operation in fellujah Militiamen control parts of 3 iraq cities Mosque minaret in fallujah leveled Most fallujah victims are women children Nine hostage said freed in iraq Number of wounded skyrocketed april { April 23 2004 } Russians to evacuate 800 from iraq Sadr supporters took over government buildings in najaf Serviceman dies from oil terminal suicide attack { April 25 2004 } Seven halliburton workers missing Shiite militia boy [jpg] Shiite militia marches against us { April 4 2004 } Shiite supporter [jpg] Shiites celebrate burning truck [jpg] Suicide bombers kill 68 in southern iraq Sunni shiite resistance spreading across iraq Sunnis shiites are together { April 8 2004 } Threatens burning japanese alive unless country leaves US battle guerrillas around fallujah { April 6 2004 } US bombed iraqi mosque wall US forces keep pressure on rebels in falluja and najaf { April 28 2004 } US helicopters strike shiite area in baghdad US military confirms 12 marines killed US rockets hit fallujah mosque killing 40 { April 7 2004 } US seeks truce with fallujah militants US strike fallujah kills scores najaf insurgents Us tips toward restraint in fallujah { April 26 2004 } Us to extend duty tours of 10 thousand troops Us troops back off from najaf Us troops carried out unreported massacre in falluja { April 17 2004 } Us vows to stay course after grisly deaths Warplanes pound sections of fallujah { April 29 2004 } Files Listed: 61

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