Falluja operation underway

[Barinthus]

Earlier I read about an operation carried out by undercover Iraqi police against insurgents in some place away from Fallujah. The point is that I'm glad to see that they are fighting back. I'm getting tired of reading about insurgents taking over police stations and executing officers. Hopefully with stronger police (in terms of struggling against the insurgents), more and more Iraqis will align themselves with the government which would hurt the insurgency.

[Tripledoc]

United Nations Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field
Signed at Geneva, 12 August 1949

CHAPTER III
Medical Units and Establishments

Art. 19. Fixed establishments and mobile medical units of the Medical Service may in no circumstances be attacked, but shall at all times be respected and protected by the Parties to the conflict. Should they fall into the hands of the adverse Party, their personnel shall be free to pursue their duties, as long as the capturing Power has not itself ensured the necessary care of the wounded and sick found in such establishments and units.

http://www.canadahistory.com/sections/documents/genevaconventionforwounded.htm

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by GePap


Only once most American forces leave-which means the issues will have moved possibly from an anti-US insurgency to a lowe level internal civil war ala Colombia, or a full blown civil war ala Bosnia.

Im thinking Algeria, Pakistan, and Indonesia would be the relevant comparisons, since the Islamist linkages would still exist. And as in Pakistan there would be ethnic overtones.

[Gibsie]

Originally posted by Chemical Ollie
The conspiracy is that the body bags don't matter anymore, now that the American election is over

That's not a conspiracy. That's stating the bloody obvious.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Tripledoc

http://www.canadahistory.com/section...forwounded.htm

Article 21:
Art. 21. The protection to which fixed establishments and mobile medical units of the Medical Service are entitled shall not cease unless they are used to commit, outside their humanitarian duties, acts harmful to the enemy. Protection may, however, cease only after a due warning has been given, naming, in all appropriate cases, a reasonable time limit, and after such warning has remained unheeded.

[Tripledoc]

Except there were no insurgents at the hospital. And I have seen photographs of doctors beeing forced down to the floor and handcuffed.

The official reason for the capture was that the US were worried about "inflated" civilian casualty figures. And no mention were made of them being used by the insurgents. There was no mention of a specific warning either.

[Tripledoc]

Art. 22. The following conditions shall not be considered as depriving a medical unit or establishment of the protection guaranteed by Article 19:

(1) That the personnel of the unit or establishment are armed, and that they use the arms in their own defence, or in that of the wounded and sick in their charge.
(2) That in the absence of armed orderlies, the unit or establishment is protected by a picket or by sentries or by an escort.
(3) That small arms and ammunition taken from the wounded and sick and not yet handed to the proper service, are found in the unit or establishment.
(4) That personnel and material of the veterinary service are found in the unit or establishment, without forming an integral part thereof.
(5) That the humanitarian activities of medical units and establishments or of their personnel extend to the care of civilian wounded or sick.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Tripledoc
Except there were no insurgents at the hospital. And I have seen photographs of doctors beeing forced down to the floor and handcuffed.

The official reason for the capture was that the US were worried about "inflated" civilian casualty figures. And no mention were made of them being used by the insurgents. There was no mention of a specific warning either.

"The hospital was taken by Iraqi forces, with support from U.S. Marines, at about 10:45 p.m. local time yesterday, Major Kris Meyle said in a telephone interview from Baghdad. ``There were no shots fired and no casualties,'' she said, adding that ``a number'' of people were detained. The New York Times reported that the hospital was a suspected rebel refuge. "

[Tripledoc]

Why was the hospital taken then?

It is the largest hospital in the area. Presumably it is a tall building.

[Gibsie]

I saw footage of an Iraqi soldier after he'd shot himself in the foot taking the hospital. Although it's a minor issue, if the Major says there were no shots fired and no casualties, when even one shot was actually fired and one wound occurred, it makes me think that we're going to be hearing lots of canned media releases that don't actually bear much truth to what exactly went on. As usual.

[Last Conformist]

Truth is the first casualty in any war. Any other news?

[Ned]

I personally think that we will win this thing in a week's time with very few allied casualties. The main issue is getting Zarqawi. I have a gut feeling he has already gone and is in Baghdad.

[Last Conformist]

Well, wasn't US casualties at Hue something like 150? This should be rather less bloody.

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by Gibsie


That's not a conspiracy. That's stating the bloody obvious.

Don't you find it lame that domestic politics dictate what Generals on the battle field should decide? I think it's cynical to wait with a bloody battle until the election is over, when it had to be done in any case.

[DanS]

Tripledoc: Iraqi forces are not bound by the Geneva convention while fighting insurgents in their own country. Your posts in this thread are totally irrelevant.