Iraq: US forces in Baghdad intended to bring the might of the American military to bear on a guerrilla stronghold but did little more than damage an already condemned building, writes Jack Fairweather in Baghdad
In an effort to take the fight to the enemy a spectre gunship pounded the former Republican guard headquarters for half an hour late on Thursday night.
The attack was part of Operation Iron Hammer - an ongoing offensive that has so far used mortars, artillery and AC-130 Spectre gunships to strike locations across the city.
In recent weeks rebel fighters have grown increasingly daring in their attacks on Coalition forces but US commanders have vowed to more than match the insurgents.
A military spokesman said, "The Republican guard palace was identified as a location used by the enemy to attack American forces. On Thursday we neutralised the position."
But at the former Republican Guard headquarters yesterday soldiers on the ground and local residents were left baffled by the choice of target.
Despite several passes of the headquarters, the gunship damage was minor to a building already semi-derelict after being bombed during the war.
One sergeant said that although they came under regular attack, the building was not the insurgents' headquarters.
"We never know where it comes from. The attackers just come and go from different neighbourhoods," said Lieut John Smith from the 1st Cavalry regiment that has a base 200 metres away.
"I have seen Iraqis on the roof of the building but mostly they've been shooting in celebration."
Any insurgents in the building were given ample time to escape after US troops and Iraqi security guards alerted the neighbourhood of the imminent attack by loudspeaker.
Neighbours said that the building is mostly used by children playing during the day, and is deserted at night.
"No one comes here," said Ali Badan, a security man who guards the headquarters.
Badan himself was injured on Wednesday when guerrillas fired a mortar at his checkpoint from a nearby residential neighbourhood.
"The Americans cannot kill the insurgents with big bombs," said Badan. "All they are doing is scaring local people."
The strike comes after the worst fortnight of violence in the country since the end of the war.
On Thursday two more US soldiers were killed and three wounded in a bomb attack on their convoy north of the Iraqi capital.
The soldiers' deaths raised to 159 the number of US soldiers killed in combat in Iraq since May 1, when US President George W. Bush declared major hostilities over.
On Wednesday top US commander in the region Gen John Abizaid said that some 5,000 highly organized insurgents were now at work in Iraq.
"Clearly I feel a sense of urgency," he said. "They're a despicable bunch of thugs that will be defeated."
But Operation Iron Hammer so far appears to have been more a show of firepower than a targeted campaign to eliminate the terrorists.
An attack on Wednesday during the operation struck a disused factory on the outskirts of Baghdad A US soldier at the Republican Guard headquarters summed up the operation: "It was target practice. But it's made me feel a lot better."