Hezbollah rocket attack in Iraq killed 5 U.S. soldiers

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A Shi’ite militia group in Iraq on Friday claimed a rocket attack this week on a Baghdad base which killed five U.S. soldiers, a strike that revived security concerns as U.S. forces prepare to pull out at the end of the year.

Kata’ib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades) said in a posting on its website its fighters carried out Monday’s rocket strike on the Camp Loyalty base in Baghdad’s eastern Baladiyat district.

The U.S. military has said only the Americans were killed when the base came under “indirect fire”, the term it uses to refer to mortar or rocket fire. It was the biggest single loss of life for U.S. troops in Iraq in two years.

Another U.S. soldier was killed in south Iraq on Wednesday.

Kata’ib Hezbollah is one of several Shi’ite militias which U.S. officials say are backed and trained by Iran and which they say have stepped up attacks on remaining U.S. forces in Iraq in recent months. Tehran denies training the militias.

The claim for the June 6 attack was made a day after U.S. President Barack Obama’s pick to be the new U.S. defence secretary, outgoing CIA chief Leon Panetta, said he expected Iraq to eventually ask Washington to keep U.S. troops in the country beyond an end-2011 withdrawal deadline.

Panetta told a Senate committee Washington should agree to such a request when it comes. Facing some opposition to a continuing U.S. military presence, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has said he will seek by August a unified position on the issue in his shaky cross-sectarian coalition government.

U.S. forces in Iraq halted combat operations last year and the remaining 47,000 American troops are due to pull out by Dec. 31 under a 2008 bilateral security accord.

Claiming responsibility for the June 6 attack, Kata’ib Hezbollah condemned what it called U.S. “arrogance” at keeping bases in Iraqi cites and promised more attacks against American targets, including the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.

“We promise them that they will not be safe and our weapons will reach them,” the statement said.

Late on Thursday, a barrage of Katyusha rockets were fired into Baghdad’s heavily-fortified Green Zone, where government buildings and the American and other foreign embassies are located, an Interior Ministry source said. There were no reports of casualties or damage.

PROTESTS OVER SERVICES

Levels of violence in Iraq have fallen sharply from the peak of sectarian slaughter in 2006-2007 that followed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, but gun and bomb attacks still occur daily across the country.

Prior to Panetta’s declaration, U.S. officials and Iraqi military commanders have expressed doubts about whether Iraq’s armed forces can guarantee security and defence needs without some kind of continuing U.S. military support beyond 2011.

At least one group within Maliki’s coalition, the political bloc of anti-U.S. Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, openly opposes a continued U.S. presence and Sadr has threatened to escalate protests and even “military resistance” if U.S. troops stay on.

Maliki, who formed his coalition after inconclusive elections last year, has also faced since February popular protests against corruption, food ration shortages and poor public services, especially chronic power outages.

Protests have been taking place on Fridays after prayers, but the several thousand who turned out in a central Baghdad square on Friday included a large number of pro-government supporters who outnumbered the protesters.

Several protesters were beaten by the pro-government supporters, witnesses said. Small anti-government protests were reported in other Iraqi cities.

Maliki, whose self-set 100-day deadline for an improved government performance ended this week, has appeared with ministers in televised cabinet meetings in which they proposed solutions to some of the popular complaints.

Reuters

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40 responses to “Hezbollah rocket attack in Iraq killed 5 U.S. soldiers”

  1. TripleC1000 Avatar
    TripleC1000

    Nothings new, Iran backs terrorist that target our troops while we back separatists in Iran that kill their security forces.

  2.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Nothings new, Iran backs terrorist that target our troops while we back separatists in Iran that kill their security forces.

  3. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Iran needs these shitty little groups doing sneak attacks for it while it holds it’s own citizens down with the tire-irons.

  4.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Iran needs these shitty little groups doing sneak attacks for it while it holds it’s own citizens down with the tire-irons.

  5. ur_worst_nightmare Avatar
    ur_worst_nightmare

    What a lack of journalistic integrity. That is a very misleading headline. “Hizbollah” rocket attack. This site is starting to use the same style Fox News employs when it wants to mislead readers.

    1. Patience2 Avatar
      Patience2

      Could you explain the difference between ‘hizbollah’ and ‘Kata’ib Hezbollah’ ?  They must be different to arouse you so!
      I need to know differences like this so I don’t make serious misteaks!  Especially after dinner.

      1. ur_worst_nightmare Avatar
        ur_worst_nightmare

        Patience I am no fan of either but any student of middle east politics would know that these are two completely separate groups and that the headline was indeed misleading. It would be breaking news all over CNN and Fox News if the Hezbollah that we al know, were to attack and kill troops in Iraq. This is pure sensastionism journalism at it’s worst.

        1. Patience2 Avatar
          Patience2

          I see what you’re saying, and I agree that clarity is important.  Apparently, there are several ‘related’ HA’s, and it’s hard for me to keep them straight in articles like this.  However, all my respect goes to the staff at YaLibnan for the job they are doing.  I don’t think they are employing any deceit.

        2. antar2011 Avatar
          antar2011

          different in location and nationality perhaps but same in loyality to the murshed in iran.

          does not make them any different do they?

  6. ur_worst_nightmare Avatar
    ur_worst_nightmare

    What a lack of journalistic integrity. That is a very misleading headline. “Hizbollah” rocket attack. This site is starting to use the same style Fox News employs when it wants to mislead readers.

  7.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    What a lack of journalistic integrity. That is a very misleading headline. “Hizbollah” rocket attack. This site is starting to use the same style Fox News employs when it wants to mislead readers.

    1.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      Could you explain the difference between ‘hizbollah’ and ‘Kata’ib Hezbollah’ ?  They must be different to arouse you so!
      I need to know differences like this so I don’t make serious misteaks!  Especially after dinner.

      1.  Avatar
        Anonymous

        Patience I am no fan of either but any student of middle east politics would know that these are two completely separate groups and that the headline was indeed misleading. It would be breaking news all over CNN and Fox News if the Hezbollah that we al know, were to attack and kill troops in Iraq. This is pure sensastionism journalism at it’s worst.

      2.  Avatar
        Anonymous

        Patience I am no fan of either but any student of middle east politics would know that these are two completely separate groups and that the headline was indeed misleading. It would be breaking news all over CNN and Fox News if the Hezbollah that we al know, were to attack and kill troops in Iraq. This is pure sensastionism journalism at it’s worst.

        1.  Avatar
          Anonymous

          I see what you’re saying, and I agree that clarity is important.  Apparently, there are several ‘related’ HA’s, and it’s hard for me to keep them straight in articles like this.  However, all my respect goes to the staff at YaLibnan for the job they are doing.  I don’t think they are employing any deceit.

        2.  Avatar
          Anonymous

          different in location and nationality perhaps but same in loyality to the murshed in iran.

          does not make them any different do they?

  8. Beiruti Avatar

    This is Lebanon in a couple years except it will say 5 Lebanese killed in Beirut by Hezbollah mortar attack.

    1. You seem like a faithful Hariri follower. I won’t comment to the false fact you mentioned, but remember what the “martyr” PM Rafic Hariri did to the country and how much debt we have in Lebanon because of his policies (lets not say stealing and fraud…).

      1. 5thDrawer Avatar

        Are we changing it now?

      2. 5thDrawer Avatar

        Are we changing it now?

  9.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    This is Lebanon in a couple years except it will say 5 Lebanese killed in Beirut by Hezbollah mortar attack.

    1. You seem like a faithful Hariri follower. I won’t comment to the false fact you mentioned, but remember what the “martyr” PM Rafic Hariri did to the country and how much debt we have in Lebanon because of his policies (lets not say stealing and fraud…).

      1.  Avatar

        Are we changing it now?

      2.  Avatar

        Are we changing it now?

      3.  Avatar

        Are we changing it now?

      4.  Avatar

        Are we changing it now?

    2. You seem like a faithful Hariri follower. I won’t comment to the false fact you mentioned, but remember what the “martyr” PM Rafic Hariri did to the country and how much debt we have in Lebanon because of his policies (lets not say stealing and fraud…).

  10. Kata’ib Hezbollah is the strongest resistance group in Iraq, and btw the so called “IRAM” rockets and most their advanced weapons are made by their engineering team and NOT provided by Iran, and US generals admitted that several times. Also the deaths of US by Ashtar rockets (IRAM attacks) are much much more than admitted, they are in hundreds.. let the US troops feel the suffering they caused for hundreds of thousands of Iraqi mothers.

    1. Hannibal Avatar
      Hannibal

      If it weren’t for the Americans you’d be eating dirt from the shoe of Saddam you ungrateful brat…

      1. If it weren’t fr America Saddam wouldn’t be in power during the 1991 revolution. BTW I am Lebanese not Iraqi..

        1. 5thDrawer Avatar

          One of the ill-educated dumb ones then …
          If the Americans are pulling out, why try to kill as many as possible before they go?
          But we argue about old news here ….

  11. Kata’ib Hezbollah is the strongest resistance group in Iraq, and btw the so called “IRAM” rockets and most their advanced weapons are made by their engineering team and NOT provided by Iran, and US generals admitted that several times. Also the deaths of US by Ashtar rockets (IRAM attacks) are much much more than admitted, they are in hundreds.. let the US troops feel the suffering they caused for hundreds of thousands of Iraqi mothers.

    1. If it weren’t for the Americans you’d be eating dirt from the shoe of Saddam you ungrateful brat…

      1. If it weren’t fr America Saddam wouldn’t be in power during the 1991 revolution. BTW I am Lebanese not Iraqi..

        1.  Avatar

          One of the ill-educated dumb ones then …
          If the Americans are pulling out, why try to kill as many as possible before they go?

        2.  Avatar

          One of the ill-educated dumb ones then …
          If the Americans are pulling out, why try to kill as many as possible before they go?

  12. josephphdman Avatar
    josephphdman

    what caused the suffering of the thousands of iraquis women is the iraqui people themselves , by letting a tyrent dictator criminal rule them, and killed them for 40 years ; it was the responsibility of the iraqui people to remeve this crazy dictator saddam hosein out of power ,who brought destruction and misery to iraq and iraquis,  only  after   the us came to save and rescue that country and save the rest of the iraqui.s  this country is back ontrack now and recovering ; m if you have one drop of common sense in your brain ,you would have said thank you america , for saving iraq from a complete loss,and destruction.

  13. josephphdman Avatar
    josephphdman

    what caused the suffering of the thousands of iraquis women is the iraqui people themselves , by letting a tyrent dictator criminal rule them, and killed them for 40 years ; it was the responsibility of the iraqui people to remeve this crazy dictator saddam hosein out of power ,who brought destruction and misery to iraq and iraquis,  only  after   the us came to save and rescue that country and save the rest of the iraqui.s  this country is back ontrack now and recovering ; m if you have one drop of common sense in your brain ,you would have said thank you america , for saving iraq from a complete loss,and destruction.

  14.  Avatar

    what caused the suffering of the thousands of iraquis women is the iraqui people themselves , but letting a tirent dictators criminal ride them and killed them for 40 years ; it was the responsibility of the iraqui people to remeve this crazy dictator saddam hosein out of power ,who brought destruction and misery to iraq and iraquis,  only  after   the us came to save and rescue that country and save the rest of the iraqui.s  this country is back ontrack now and recovering ; m if you have one drop of common sense in your brain ,you would have said thank you america , for saving iraq from a complete loss,and destruction.

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