Mosul lockdown

U.S. forces sealed off entire districts of the Iraqi city of Mosul on Wednesday and raided homes in a hunt for suspects following a guerrilla attack that killed 18 Americans and four Iraqis.

Mosul's governor issued an order banning use of the five bridges that span the River Tigris in the city, and said anyone breaking the order would be shot. Residents said Iraq's third city was a virtual ghost town, with no one in the streets.

[...]

In Mosul, people were afraid: "Students went to school but were told to go home. People went to the shops, saw American troops in the streets, and went home," said Ahmad, 25, a car dealer who declined to give his surname.

"The place is shut down," said another resident, adding that mosques and markets were also virtually empty.

The U.S. military said a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew, imposed several weeks ago, remained in place and confirmed it had stepped up operations in the search for suspects.

[...]

U.S. officials initially said a number of rocket and mortar rounds were fired at a mess tent in southwest Mosul, but a militant group claimed a suicide bomber was behind the attack. A further 72 people were wounded.

[...]

Giving the latest in a series of casualty updates, the military in Baghdad said 14 U.S. soldiers, four American civilians and four Iraqi security force members were killed.

Fifty-one of the wounded were U.S. military personnel. Of the 72 hurt, 43 were still being treated.

Reuters article

What? An investigation? No immediate airstrike - only a house to house raid - in retaliation? Something's up. Did they learn something from Falluja?

I'm having a hard time believing that.

"It was a tragic event, but it will not deter us from our mission," said Sergeant Steve Valley, a U.S. spokesman in Baghdad. "We're all here with the same purpose of ridding this country of these armed thugs and building a democracy."

Still clueless. Or still spouting official rhetoric.

U.S. commanders say Jordanian al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi probably fled Falluja and moved his base to Mosul.

Wherever you find "insurgents" making headlines with successful attacks or defense against the mighty U.S. military, there you'll find....Super Zarqawi! How else could we be suffering losses and setbacks but due to some mastermind super villain? (And of course, he can't be an Iraqi - they want us there to liberate them.)