yeah, the updated 'post story is saying "after taking several hours of fire from insurgents who were using it as cover to attack Marines advancing through the city."
MSNBC: Marine Lt. Col. Brennan Byrne told The Associated Press that he ordered the mosque attacked after his men came under fire from 30 to 40 insurgents inside and militants left the compound in an ambulance and shot at U.S. troops. "If they use the mosque as a military machine, then it's no longer a house of worship and we strike," he said.
If I recall correctly, that was a concern in the early days of the war last year, that they said they would strive to leave mosques alone, but would not tolerate the abuse of that amnesty where iraqi soldiers would use the mosques as a shield. Now the issue never came up to this degree during the "war"; the few times, it was only one or two soldiers who could be taken out without harming civilians or the building (*too* much). This was certainly different, both in the # of fighters inside it, and the action taken by the marines.
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MSNBC: Marine Lt. Col. Brennan Byrne told The Associated Press that he ordered the mosque attacked after his men came under fire from 30 to 40 insurgents inside and militants left the compound in an ambulance and shot at U.S. troops. "If they use the mosque as a military machine, then it's no longer a house of worship and we strike," he said.
If I recall correctly, that was a concern in the early days of the war last year, that they said they would strive to leave mosques alone, but would not tolerate the abuse of that amnesty where iraqi soldiers would use the mosques as a shield. Now the issue never came up to this degree during the "war"; the few times, it was only one or two soldiers who could be taken out without harming civilians or the building (*too* much). This was certainly different, both in the # of fighters inside it, and the action taken by the marines.