Five U.S. soldiers were killed Monday in a shooting at an American base in Baghdad, the U.S. command said.
A brief U.S. statement said the shooting occurred about 2 p.m. at Camp Liberty near Baghdad International Airport but gave no further details on the attack.
NBC News was reporting that four of the troops were killed by a fellow service member, who then killed himself.
NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reported the assailant took his own life after the violent outburst. The attacker was described as a "stressed out" U.S. soldier.
The toll was the highest for U.S. personnel in a single attack since April 10, when a suicide truck driver killed five American soldiers with a blast near a police headquarters in the northern city of Mosul.
On May 2, two American soldiers died after an attacker wearing an Iraqi army uniform opened fire near the northern city of Mosul. The assailant was also killed.
Also Monday, a senior Iraqi traffic officer was assassinated Monday morning on his way to work in Baghdad. It was the second attack on a high-ranking traffic police officer in the capital in as many days.
A car cut off Brig. Gen. Abdul-Hussein al-Kadhoumi as he drove through a central square in the capital and a second vehicle pulled up alongside and riddled him with bullets, police said, citing witnesses. Al-Kadhoumi was director of operations for the traffic authority.
The gunmen were armed with pistols equipped with silencers, the police added on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Incidents involving gunmen armed with sophisticated weapons, including silencers, have been on the rise since a string of high-profile robberies in April.
17 comments:
This is extremely saddening. The fact that soldiers are to the point of which killing their peers and then themselves, should be quite an eye opener to the American public. Men were not created to face the things and experience the hardships a war presents. I just hope that the public is prepared for the aftermath to come, following the removal of Americans, from the harsh experience of war.
It really is sad to hear stories about this war especially when a life is lost. Many of our soldiers are stressed out and have been there for awhile and those soldiers are the ones who need a break and need to come home.
This is really scary. Of course teh soldier is stressed out they are in the middle of a freakin war. And aren't there people out there who are supposed to recognize the signs of these things??? There are so many deaths though. It's time to finish this thing!
When it turns into a war let me know. Deciding if Iraq wasn't worth it because people are now dieing is a waste to their memory. What needs to be discussed isn't how many people are dieing it's what can be gained from the conflict, and how many people will die. Not, how many have died that will only distract us from the cost to benefit ratio that should have been done before engaging. Maybe it turns out to be more costly then originally anticipated, and it isn't really worth it. I'm not trying to silence anyones views, but there is no way you can approach casualties reports as a reason to stay in any conflict.
There has been A LOT of murder over there! Just when I thought CHANGE would at least pick up by now. OBAMA is not doing much except bowing to the egyptians (har har). This increase of violence is just wasting our soldiers. The whole suicide thing was just a major backfire. Not only do we have to deal with the flu but now this? The only change I have really noticed is that Lubbock is now a "wet" city. But there is the fact that you have to crack a few eggs to make a cake. Who knows?
-Isaac
Wow. This is so intense.I knew people got stressed, but I didn't think people got this stressed. But then again, i've never been in that siuation or never been around someone who has or is. I, myself, would probly not be able to handle that kind of strees either. God bless our soldiers who put up with that stuff. cuz I know I wouldn't.
The war's never going to end. oh my goodness. And what's up with the assailant that murdered his own men?? It's bad enough with the enemies attempting to kill our soldiers... but people from our own military?? That is low. I really don't know Obama's policy in the middle east but it's going to be a lot harder than I think most people see. It's not just taking out our soldiers because if we do that then conditions will just return to how they were previously and it will have been a waste of our time, our money, and our soldiers' lives for the past few years.
ok we all have stress but you dont see me killing 4 of my friends and then killing my self. stress is just an overly used excuse.
I don't understand why everyone is freaking out...it is a war, after all. A stupid war (but then again, all war is stupid, if you ask me), but a war none-the-less. It's just funny that "stressed out" US soliders are causing more US casulties than the Baghdad troops. Makes you wonder, eh?
It's so easy to forget about the lives you don't interact with on a daily basis. It's hard to see how much both our U.S. troops and Iraqi people are struggling. I can only hope and pray that we will continue to help establish an Iraqi democracy while simultaneously keeping U.S. fatalaties as low as possible.
It really is something to live in America.
I don't know how the assailants got a hold of the weapons or other equipment, but it would seem to me that they may be working for someone else and getting paid to do it. Maybe the person behind it had a beef with the American people or an organization such as the U.S. Military. Or they're Iraqi radicals seeking to drive the so called "Bad Guys" out of they're country along with all of the "traitors".
This inicident comes to show how awful coniditions are for soldiers in the Middle East. Rather than engaging in actual military offenses that take place on the battlefield, Americans and civilians alike are subjected to suprise attacks that can occur at any time and place. The inceased violence accross the board domestically and on foregin soil show the impacts of total war on our society.
this is a really sad story for someone to kill his friends and himself and the reason being something like stress.
i honestly don't understand how someone can be that "stressed" and nobody know. like if he was that stressed why was he even still there and not home? i'm pretty sure they have enough men for him to have not been there. THAT'S STUPID!!!
how can someone even be that "stressed" and NOBODY know about it. he obvsiouly was haveing problems and was probably talking to someone about them...?!?!? so why didn't they send him home to get better so this tragidy wouldn't happen? i'm quiet positive they had enough men to where he could have atleast stayed at the base for a bit to get a clear mind.
This is a very sad story! Its another reason why we should bring our troops home. I dont say that obama isnt doing good since he hasnt been able to bring them home because I know it takes time, but the longer they stay there the more innocent soldiers have to die.
Wow. I think thats a big head's up or cry for help. Once we have had tied the biggest death toll from friendly/crazy fire, it should tell people that we clearly arent doing anything there anymore. DUH!
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