US forces clash with insurgents in Iraq, kill 18(airstrikes)

BAGHDAD, Feb 2 (Reuters) - U.S. troops said they killed 18 insurgents in fierce clashes in the volatile western Iraqi city of Ramadi that began on Thursday and continued on Friday morning and ended only when they called in air strikes.

Ramadi, 110 km (68 miles) west of Baghdad, is the capital of Anbar province, heartland of the Sunni insurgency and the most dangerous place in Iraq for U.S. troops.

The U.S. military said in a statement that U.S. forces were attacked in Ramadi on Thursday evening by small arms fire. When U.S. machinegun and tank fire failed to quell the attack, troops called in an air strike. At least 15 insurgents were killed.

U.S. forces were again attacked on Friday by militants armed with rocket propelled grenades in several buildings.

more:http://mobile.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/YAT234730.htm

Do we trust commanders under Bush/Cheney's thumb to even tell us the truth about who fired first?

What is an "insurgent" and why shouldn't he resist a U.S. invasion?

Were those killed by "machinegun and tank fire" and "air strikes," in response to "small arms fire," all armed and involved in the conflict? What were the ages and sexes of those killed?

Is "machinegun and tank fire" and "air strikes" an appropriate response to "small arms fire"?

Why are we killing these people?

Who decides, in Iraq, who gets machinegunned and blown away by tanks and bombs, and who doesn't, and why?

Who decides which side the machine guns and the tanks and bombers are on, and why? What is "the mission"?

Why are these people dead? Who were they? Who signed the warrant for their summary execution? What right did they have to do so?

is an insurgent. The suicide bombers blowing up whole crowds of Iraqi shoppers are insurgents.

Does that help you?

questions show an idealism that is admirable but somewhat inexperienced. When on patrol if you see someone with a gun who shouldn't be there you either order them to stop or shoot first depending on the ROE given to you. If shoot at, you get the biggest gun, tank, bomb you can find and shoot back. At the end of the day you want to be the one going home. In a firefight and war you kill, wound, and demoralize your opponent till they stop fighting. Then you go home. Yes there will be collateral damage. Some innocents will be hurt and killed. This is especially true when you are fighting an insurgency who lives and hides within his/her ethnic population. Your questions appear to be transferring blame to the lowest levels of responsibility when the problems are much higher.

I would suggest that your questions should be directed more to why did we start this misbegotten war? Who lied? How do we stop it? What government actions can be taken to prosecute those who are responsible for the mistakes and corruption? WHEN CAN WE BRING THE TROOPS HOME? What is going to fill the vacuum when we leave Iraq? How will that affect ME politics in the years to come? How should we shape our political attitude to wards the Islamic world? How can we fashion our government so that no future rogue president can do what Bush has?