Update:
The Ansar al-Sunnah Army has issued a communique detailing the operation which has been translated. As was suspected, there was a suicide bomber prior to any type of mortar/rocket attack.
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Rockets struck a mess tent at a military base in Mosul where hundreds of U.S. soldiers had just sat down to lunch Tuesday, and military officials said at least 20 people were killed and more than 60 were wounded. A radical Muslim group, the Ansar al-Sunnah Army, claimed responsibility.
The dead included U.S. military personnel, U.S. contractors, foreign national contractors and Iraqi army, said Brig. Gen. Carter Ham, commander of Task Force Olympia in Mosul.
Clearly horrible news, though the claim of responsibility by Ansar al-Sunnah Army (Army of al-Sunnah) is no shock. They operate in Northern Iraq, namely Mosul, and have been responsible for many of the recent terrorist attacks in Mosul.
The city of Mosul is divided by the Tigris River not just geographically, but ethnically as well. On the Eastern side of the Tigris, the Kurds live and U.S. soldiers can patrol with releative security. On the Western side of the Tigris is the side dominated by Arabs. The U.S. base in Mosul is on the Western side of the Tigris.
Almost every day terrorists do “drive-by” rocket attacks on the base and plant IEDs just outside the base. Of course most mortar rounds miss critical facilities within the base, however this one hit a crucial area.
Update:
Times-Dispatch reporter Jeremy Redmon was at the scene of the mortar attack in the U.S. mess hall. He has written a gripping account of what happened in a must-read (via Six Meat Buffet).
Update:
Supposedly Ansar al-sunnah has written something relating to this on their site, but unfortunately I do not read Arabic. I’m looking for a translator to be able to read the site and decipher any related wording. If there is a person who can read Arabic, please contact me and I’ll forward the link to the site so we can get a translation.
A translation is wanted because according to various reports, the Army of al-Sunnah claims this was a “martyrdom” killing which could mean the base infiltrated or compromised from within. As we all know, martyrdom requires the person who actually followed through with the attack to die in the act of committing the attrocity.
Update:
Hyscience has a huge roundup of the news coverage of the attack along with putting the story in context.
Update:
U.S. military explosives experts are invesitigating the cause of the explosion which gives further credence to the rumors indicating the explosion may have been from within rather than from a rocket attack.
Update:
According to the BBC, Mosul has a history of providing military commanders for Saddam’s army as well as intelligence officials.
According to Charles Glass, who reported for the London Review of Books from Mosul, there are signs the city’s anti-American insurgency is being marshalled by shadowy figures from the former dictator’s Baath party.
A reporter in the city told the BBC News website in November that several Syrians were among the fighters captured by US forces.
This is not surprising, though as I stated above Mosul is divided by the Tigris River from all accounts I’ve read; not just geographically but ethinically.
Update:
The video of the Ansar al-Sunnah suicide bombing in the U.S. mess hall in Mosul can be downloaded through Ogrish, thanks to Cindy. It isn’t anything special and pretty much is like every other terrorist video released.
Diggers Realm linked with Army of Ansar al-Sunnah Releases Video Of Mosul Terrorist Attack
The Jawa Report linked with Suicide Bomber Wearing Iraqi Soldier Uniform
Hyscience linked with US troops sweep Mosul after blast - Signs of Suicide Bomber Connection.
Hyscience linked with On the Mosul attack on U.S. base and Ansar al-Sunnah Army - Running Updates
The Jawa Report linked with Army of al Sunnah’s Communique
The MUSC Tiger linked with 24 Dead in Mosul Attack
Speed of Thought... linked with More Murder
The Jawa Report linked with Rocket Hits U.S. Tent
Loading ...
Gavin - 
Abo Bayoumi - 
JAMIE WILLSON - 
gary - 
Lars -
10 comments for Explosion at U.S. Mess Hall in Mosul
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Comments are not moderated and do not necessarily reflect the views of the authors of In the Bullpen. We do expect all comments to be pertinent to the discussion, not inflamatory and free from profanity.
Trackbacks
Rocket Hits U.S. Tent
- Associated Press BAGHDAD, Iraq - Rockets struck a mess tent at a military base in Mosul where hundreds of U.S. soldiers had just sat down to lunch Tuesday, and military officials said at least 20 people were killed and…
Trackback by The Jawa Report — Tuesday, December 21, 2004 @ 1:11 pm CST
On the Mosul attack on U.S. base and Ansar al-Sunnah Army - Running Updates
Due to the ongoing reporting by Fox and other news outlets related to the rocket attackes in Mosul today, the following is a collage of information regarding the attack and also the attackers. Information will be posted here hourly and more often as av…
Trackback by Hyscience — Tuesday, December 21, 2004 @ 2:19 pm CST
More Murder
MOSUL, Iraq — At least one explosion in a U.S. military base mess hall in Mosul killed at least 24 people and wounded more than 60…
Trackback by Speed of Thought... — Tuesday, December 21, 2004 @ 2:58 pm CST
24 Dead in Mosul Attack
AP:
An explosion ripped through a mess tent at a military base in Mosul where hundreds of U.S. soldiers had just sat down to lunch Tuesday, and officials said 24 people were killed and more than 60 wounded. A radical Muslim group, the Ansar al-Sunnah …
Trackback by The MUSC Tiger — Tuesday, December 21, 2004 @ 4:10 pm CST
Army of al Sunnah’s Communique
International Terror Consultant Evan F. Kohlmann of Global Terror Alert has released the communique given by the Ansar al-Sunnah Army claiming responsibility for the attack on the United States mess hall in Mosul. As I had questioned, as had Hyscience,…
Trackback by The Jawa Report — Tuesday, December 21, 2004 @ 9:27 pm CST
On the Mosul attack on U.S. base and Ansar al-Sunnah Army - Running Updates
The blogs have done it tonight with what is now the fourth confirming source that the attack involved a suicide bomber. Our base was infiltrated by a terrorist, most likely in an Iraqi National Guard uniform (my total guess, not even a rumor yet).
Trackback by Hyscience — Tuesday, December 21, 2004 @ 9:53 pm CST
US troops sweep Mosul after blast - Signs of Suicide Bomber Connection.
It appears that investigators have found the remains of a torso and a “suicide vest”, which would indicate that a suicide murderer was involved. Hyscience, Jawa Report, and inTheBullPen posited this possibility late last night when we first read the …
Trackback by Hyscience — Wednesday, December 22, 2004 @ 1:51 pm CST
Suicide Bomber Wearing Iraqi Soldier Uniform
- Associated Press BAGHDAD, Iraq - The suicide bomber believed to have carried out this week’s devastating attack on a U.S. military dining tent, killing more than 20 people, was probably wearing an Iraqi military uniform, a U.S. general said…
Trackback by The Jawa Report — Thursday, December 23, 2004 @ 1:25 pm CST
Army of Ansar al-Sunnah Releases Video Of Mosul Terrorist Attack
The terrorist group Army of Ansar al-Sunnah have released a video of the Dec 21, 2004 attack on a messhall in Mosul. In the video there are statements read by terrorists in Arabic ( PDF English translation via Global Terror…
Trackback by Diggers Realm — Monday, December 27, 2004 @ 12:22 pm CST
Army of Ansar al-Sunnah Releases Video Of Mosul Terrorist Attack
The terrorist group Army of Ansar al-Sunnah have released a video of the Dec 21, 2004 attack on a messhall in Mosul. In the video there are statements read by terrorists in Arabic ( PDF English translation via Global Terror…
Trackback by Diggers Realm — Monday, December 27, 2004 @ 12:28 pm CST
Comments
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.