United States Marine Corps

Press Release
Division of Public Affairs
Headquarters, U. S. Marine Corps
Washington, D. C. 20380-1775
Telephone: 703-614-4309 DSN 224-4309 Fax 703-695-7460
Contact:

Release # 0412-04-0618
Apr. 7, 2004

Marines Breach Wall to Reach Insurgents Using Mosque as Cover

WASHINGTON--American Forces Press Service

Marines in Fallujah, Iraq, used air support today
to break through the wall of a mosque complex that insurgents were using to
fire on them, a U.S. Central Command news release reported.

The release said Marines saw anti-coalition forces firing from the Haj Musheen
Abdul Aziz Az-Kubaysi mosque complex. To gain access to the compound housing
the mosque, the release continued, the Marines used air support to breach a
wall several hundred yards away from the actual mosque structure. One anti-
coalition force member was killed in the attack, and there were no reports of
civilian casualties, the CENTCOM release said.

The anti-coalition forces firing from the mosque violated the law of war by
conducting offensive military operations from a protected structure, the news
release said. Though the mosque lost its protected status and became a lawful
military target, the Marines still targeted only the wall surrounding the
compound to prevent damage to the mosque, the release emphasized. Marines on
the ground saw no damage to the mosque after the strike, CENTCOM reported.

Initial reports indicate a platoon-size force was firing rocket-propelled
grenades and small arms from fortified battle positions inside and on top of
the mosque, and Marines recovered a fully functional mortar from inside the
compound after the strike, the release said.

This mosque was repeatedly used as a base to target Iraqi and coalition forces
throughout the day, CENTCOM reported, characterizing the breach of the wall as
"a graduated response to the threat."

The news release said the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force "will continue to
employ precision weaponry in order to protect lives of non-combatants, private
property, medical facilities and religious structures in accordance with the
law of war."

Combined Joint Task Force 7 officials reported that a Task Force 1st Armored
Division soldier was killed by RPG fire at about 6:30 a.m. today as his convoy
was relieving the security forces guarding the Diala Police Station in Baghdad.

Military officials also reported that 12 Marines died battling anti-coalition
forces in Ramadi on April 6, and that a Ukrainian soldier was killed and five
were wounded the same day when their patrol was attacked by small-arms fire in
Kut.

Also on April 6, a 1st Infantry Division soldier was killed and another was
wounded during a counter-fire mission at Logistics Support Area Anaconda near
Balad at about 8:35 p.m. The wounded soldier was evacuated to Landstuhl
Regional Medical Center, Germany, and was reported to be in stable condition.

Related Sites:
U.S. Central Command [http://www.centcom.mil/]
Combined Joint Task Force 7 [http://www.cjtf7.com/]
1st Marine Expeditionary Force [http://www.cpp.usmc.mil/imef/]
1st Armored Division [http://www.1ad.army.mil/]
1st Infantry Division [http://www.1id.army.mil/]
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Related Articles:
Coalition Vows To Destroy
Sadr's 'Mahdi Army' Militia [/news/Apr2004/n04072004_200404071.html]
U.S. Forces Conducting Raids
in Fallujah [/news/Apr2004/n04062004_200404066.html]
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Text-only version of release attached below:


Marines Breach Wall to Reach Insurgents Using Mosque as Cover.txt