Marines Battle Enemy Fighters in Fallujah [Marines "control significant portion"]

Washington Post ^ | 4/6/04 | Pamela Constable

[saquin]

FALLUJAH, WITH THE 1st MARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, April 6--U.S. Marines have established control over a significant portion of the flashpoint city of Fallujah following two days and nights of resistance from insurgents firing from rooftops, windows and doorways at Marine convoys.

The Marines fought their way deep into the city -- the most hostile in Iraq's Sunni triangle -- starting early Monday, taking constant fire as they entered from automatic rifles, mortars and rocket propelled grenades.

Fighting continued Tuesday morning, but the streets were deserted and Marine units were well ensconced in force at two positions, one in the north of the city and one in the southeast.

From these positions, rifle squads on foot have been moving deep into the city, 35 miles west of Baghdad, to suppress resistance, entering homes as necessary to seize weapons.

[OXENinFLA]

BUMP!

[areafiftyone]

I wonder how populated Najaf is because Al Sadr and his band of towelheads are over there now - see my post: Sources: Al Sadr supporters take over Najaf

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[LetsRok]

The marines should destroy ANY building with a weapon in it.

[MattinNJ]

"Last night we had a real beautiful fight with lots of tracer fire."

Real Man BTTT

[PokeyJoe]

that's what I call an honest Marine. =)

[hollywood]

Do you support disarming a population? Is everyone in this town guilty? Should they have a 2nd amendment? When does the US cross over from liberators to oppressors? I'm addressing this issue at an abstract, constitutional level. Rational answers only, please; no rants. I'm no troll.

[pdbeaches]

I thought we are only confiscating certain weapons or if the household has more than one weapon we are taking all but one, though I maybe wrong.

[Gulf War One]

You may be no troll, but you wrote makes you sound like an idiot.

This is not a democracy yet, and we are in a war over there. There should be no weapons in this den of inequity unless they belong to us and our allies.

In about 5-10 years, your question might be ripe for academic consideration.

Until then, Marines, yank their goddam teeth out.

Semper fidelis.

[PUGACHEV]

"The marines should destroy ANY building with a weapon in it."

I'm not sure that's what we ought do. I agree with the person in the article who said that the battle is about making the city a better place for those who whish to live there in peace. My suggestion is that we use snipers: lots of them, and firing from many different angles. If the insurgents -- the only ones we need to eliminate -- are waiting for our troops on rooftops or running around the city with weapons, we should be able to pick them off from +800 yards away, and do so at little risk to our troops, while, at the same time, avoiding the sort of collateral damage that would only frustrate our purpose for being there.

This approach, with insurgents being struck down by the unseen hand of God, as it were, may also wind up instilling the sort of awe in our adversaries that the bombing campaign apparently failed to do.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Fighting continued Tuesday morning, but the streets were deserted and Marine units were well ensconced in force at two positions, one in the north of the city and one in the southeast.

From these positions, rifle squads on foot have been moving deep into the city, 35 miles west of Baghdad, to suppress resistance, entering homes as necessary to seize weapons.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WP excerpt.

WP headline: ..Enemy Fighters...

Our free press finally recognizes this enemy?

Unintended consequences of the inhuman enemy action in Fallujah last week?

[Ben Chad]

The marines should destroy ANY building with a weapon in it.

AMEN

[Publius6961]

I'm addressing this issue at an abstract, constitutional level.

Abstractions and "constitutional" discussions in the middle of a war are moronic. Does not apply.
Just imagine yourself walking up to a U.S. marine, dying on the dusty street and asking him, "Aren't you just thrilled that you acted with constitutional restraint and lofty abstractions?

[js1138]

For most of a year the rats tried hit and run tactics, and that didn't work. Now they appear to be congregating in swarms. That just makes it easier.

[hollywood]

Ok, then once disarmed and peaceable (for the current war), isn't the populace ripe for the next tyrant? What's the probability of re-arming, once disarmed? Doesn't history show slim and none?

[MJM59]

In the case of Iraq, the right to bear arms has to be earned. In this country, that right was paid for by the blood of our patriot forefathers. In Iraq, it seems that the only ones paying for their freedoms are once again, American fighting for Freedom.

[pasquale]

Those cowardly barbarians are about to learn something about uncommon valor.

[jimbo123]

Four Marines have been killed and 11 wounded during since the operation began, Marine officials reported. At least 10 enemy fighters were reported killed and 15 captured, including several foreigners believed to be from Sudan.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

You do know that IRAN is connected to both this and the Sadr unrising....don't you?

See this:

Connections....