Romanians under Bullet Rain at Abu Ghraib

The USA Army has announced that, on Saturday night, at least 44 American soldiers and 12 prisoners have been wounded in an attack against the Abu Ghraib prison, West from Baghdad. The prison has been attacked for more than one time by approximately 60 rebels.

"Seven wounded people, from which six soldiers and a prisoner, have been evacuated. Six of them have been transported to a military hospital and the other to Germany", lieutenant-colonel Guy Rudisil has stated for the FPA. The extremely violent attack was made with anti-tank and automatic machineguns, which were used after the explosion of two trap-cars. The incident took place before the planned meeting of the Iraqi Parliament on Sunday, which was to decide the name of the president of the National Convention.

ROMANIAN TEAM

There is a Romanian medical team consisting in two officers, two NCOs and 16 nurses detached at Abu Ghraib. The detachment’s commander, Lt. Col. Dr. Liviu Tanase, has told Jurnalul National about the horrible moments that the personnel of the prison had to bear. "At about 19:00h the campsite in Abu Ghraib was attacked. The attack was of an unprecedented violence. The attackers, a few dozens, well led and organized, tried to get to the prisoners in order to free them… at least this seemed to be their mission!" According to the Romanian doctor, "the attack had a sudden start with mortar hits. Several small and middle caliber projectiles were fired, and they were followed by the breaking of the exterior wall of the building and by the destruction of a watch tower with the use of a car with explosive. For getting inside there have been some grenades used as well!". "When the break appeared several dozens of rebels try to enter the campsite, and this is when the tough, life and death fights with the guarding marines appeared. In those circumstances, due to the schedule, the members of the Romanian detachment were spread in many places: the hospital, the eating hall (it was dinner time), the bedrooms", Lt. Col. Liviu Tanase also told us.

UNDER FIRE

"I, the commander of the detachment, together with an American and other two Romanians, have been attacked in the most dangerous place: we were walking on the road. I managed to shelter myself under some sort of a concrete cover, and I stood there for about 15 minutes. In the meanwhile a storm of gunfire and a lot of explosions was unleashed. When I got the approval of the American soldiers, I ran to the bedrooms where most of the members were to see the status", the doctor states. According to his sayings, "the people in the bedrooms, organized by Capt. Dr. Popa, were dressed with the protection uniform and guarding the perimeter together with the Americans. When the rebels got a few feet away from our building, the Americans started to shoot frantically from the windows and from the hallways. This was when I gathered all the women in only one room and waited calmly for the enemy to appear!"

TOUGH BATTLES

"After about two hours of battles, the rebels have been rejected. Short time after that, the doctors and the nurses have been called in the hospital to take care of the wounded American soldiers, who, unfortunately, weren’t so few. The floor in the emergency room was red with blood. There were wounded soldiers everywhere … and, after a while, they started to bring in the wounded captured rebels. The Romanians have been everywhere: in the surgery, in the emergency room, in the command posts of the hospital. They proved their courage and human and professional uprightness. No one ran away from his post, not even under the bombardment! Unfortunately there were some victims among our American allies…we stand by them!

We will stay here until the end of it, and we will do our jobs as military doctors and nurses of the Romanian Army!", the commander of the Romanian detachment, Lt. Col. Liviu Tanase, also told us, a few hours after the attack.