March 30, 2003
Critter Crittenden

... Capt. Wolford devoted his briefing around midday to blunt tactical advice, to make sure the company approached this situation with the correct degree of aggressiveness.

“Once the fighting starts, if there are people in the streets, in civilian or military clothing, they are the enemy and they will die,” Wolford said.

“There are some towers and high ground. We will shoot all towers,” Wolford said. “They have used car bombs and suicide bombers … If they don’t stop, fire a burst of 7.62. If they turn around, then they were probably going to the store to get some Saddam beer. If they don’t stop, kill them.”

He talked about the paramilitaries some units had encountered at Nasiriyah and As Samiwah, believed to be a combination of the fanatical Saddam Fedayeen and civilians forced to fight when their families were taken hostage.

“I don’t think they are fighting for the regime. I don’t think they are fighting for the freedom of Iraq. But make no mistake about it. They will fight,” Wolford said. “Like I told you a thousand times, they put one round on you, you put one thousand rounds on them, until those pajama-wearing motherfuckers stop firing. They put one AT (anti-tank) round on us, you blow the whole block up. There is no collateral damage concern that will stop us carrying our mission out. When we’re done, we’ll rename the place Assassin town, because we’ll own it.

“The brigade commander doesn’t say he wants the enemy captured. He doesn’t say he wants the enemy on the run. He says he wants the enemy destroyed. So kill him.” ...