Pendleton Marines cordon Fallujah

Marine Link ^ | April 6, 2004 | Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Pendleton Marines cordon Fallujah
Submitted by: 1st Marine Division
Story Identification Number: 20044674726
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva



CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq(April 6, 2004) -- Two Marine battalions shut down access to the Iraqi city of Fallujah by early Monday morning in an effort to isolate and root out terrorists there.

By Tuesday, five Camp Pendleton Marines from the 1st Marine Division were killed and an unknown number of anti-coalition forces were dead. Firefights erupted after Marines came under mortar and rocket-propelled grenade attacks during the first two days of the operation.

"The city is surrounded," said 2nd Lt. James G. Vanzant to reporters at the onset of the operation. "It's an extended operation. We want to make a very precise approach to this... We are looking for the bad guys in town."

Marines from 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment and 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment surrounded the tumultuous city, known for being a hive of enemy activity.

The mission, dubbed Operation Vigilant Resolve, started when forces with Regimental Combat Team 1 moved to the outskirts of Fallujah and is expected to last into the coming days. It comes on the heels of the deaths and mutilations of four U.S. contractors in the city and a series of small arms, rocket and mortar attacks against Coalition Forces during the last few months.

The Marines, backed by light armored and amphibious assault vehicles as well as M-1A1 tanks, set up a series of checkpoints, effectively locking down the city.
Marines probed the city's outer perimeter, but haven't entered the heart of the city since the operation began. Reinforcements from the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, working in tandem with the Marines, are poised to carry out missions within the city limits.

"Our concern is precise," Vanzant explained to reporters. "We want to get the guys we are after. We don't want to go in there with guns blazing."

Iraqi police passed out leaflets to Fallujah residents urging them to cooperate to Coalition Forces and the city's mayor imposed a curfew from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. The mayor also banned residents from carrying weapons. Under Coalition rules, Iraqis are allowed to keep certain weapons in their home for self-protection.

The latest set of violence sparked after masked Iraqi gunmen ambushed and killed four U.S.-contracted security personnel in what appeared to be a coordinated attack. Terrorists launched grenades into the security's convoy, setting their two sports-utility vehicles ablaze. Their bodies were dragged through the streets and hung from a bridge over the Euphrates River.

Local Imams, or Muslim religious clerics, issued a fatwah - a religious order - denouncing the desecration of the American bodies. The edict, though, fell short of calling for an end to targeting Americans.

The 1st Marine Division entered Iraq with the motto, "No better friend, no worse enemy," which signifies the Marines' desire to bring peace and stability to the Al Anbar Province in western Iraq. Several large civic projects designed to boost employment and relieve harsh living conditions are planned for the city. Those projects, though, can't be acted upon until security is established.

"The Army spent more than $2 million in Fallujah alone," said Col. Michael W. Manske, assistant chief of staff for the Division's GX, a staff section created especially to assist in stabilization efforts. "We are standing by to execute a number of additional projects to support the long-range plan."

Manske said future projects include establishing and upgrading essential services in Fallujah, including water, power and sanitation. He said that Marines are also fielding requests from Fallujah leaders on other projects Marines might accomplish.

"We've established a good working relationship with local governmental and influential leaders in Fallujah," Manske explained. "But the violence that threatens innocent citizens of that city and intimidates local leaders and Iraqi security forces hampers our efforts to enact civil affairs projects.

"We look forward to the day when good order and discipline is restored so we can continue with the good work to help the Iraqi people," he added.

-30-

Photos included with story:

Marines of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, patrol the city streets of Fallujah, Iraq. Marines isolated the troubled city and probed into the outer fringes to root out terrorists attacking Coalition Forces.
(Official USMC Photograph by Lance Cpl. Kenneth E. Madden III)
Photo by: Lance Cpl. Kenneth E. Madden III

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A Marine from Weapons Platoon, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, mans an M-240G machine gun at the Highway 1 "cloverleaf" outside the city of Fallujah, Iraq. Marines islolated the city after terrorists repeately attacked Coalition Forces. The Marines' operation is desinged to root out enemy forces.
(Official USMC Photograph by Lance Cpl. Kenneth E. Madden III) Photo by: Lance Cpl. Kenneth E. Madden III

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Marines of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division patrol the streets of Fallujah, Iraq. Marines first surrounded the city, blocking avenues of escape and probed the outer perimeters of the city to root out terrorists blamed for attacking Coalition Forces.
(Official USMC Photograph by Lance Cpl. Kenneth E. Madden III)
Photo by: Lance Cpl. Kenneth E. Madden III

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Marines from 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division man an overview checkpoint at Highway 1's cloverleaf in Fallujah, Iraq. The Marines cut off traffic to the city in an operation to isolate and root out terrorist forces responsibile for attacks on Coalition Forces.
(Official USMC photograph by Master Sgt. Howard J. Farrell) Photo by: Master Sgt. Howard Farrell

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Marines in an M-1A1 tank block access along a main route leading into Fallujah, Iraq. Two battalion of Marines, reinforced with armor assets, isolated Fallujah in an effort to root out terrorist force responsible for recent attacks on Coalition Forces.
(Official USMC photo by Master Sgt. Howard J. Farrell) Photo by: Master Sgt. Howard Farrell

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Marines of Weapons Platoon, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, dig in while they wait to go in and patrol the city of Fallujah, Iraq, March 26th. Marines surrounded the Iraqi city after repeated attacks by terrorists against Coalition Forces.
(Official USMC Photograph by Lance Cpl. Kenneth E. Madden III) Photo by: Lance Cpl. Kenneth E. Madden III

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A Marine from Weapons Platoon, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, provides security at the Highwaywy 1 "cloverleaf" outside the city of Fallujah, Iraq. Marines took up position around the city after repeated attacks against Coalition Forces.
(Official USMC Photograph by Lance Cpl. Kenneth E. Madden III) Photo by: Lance Cpl. Kenneth E. Madden III

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Marines of Weapons Platoon, Company E, 2nd Battalion,1st Marine Regiment radio in to see if they are clear to start patrolling the city of Fallujah, Iraq. Marines set up checkpoints on all roads leading into Fallujah in an operation to isolate and root out terrorists who hve been attacking Coalition Forces.
(Official USMC Photograph by Lance Cpl. Kenneth E. Madden III) Photo by: Lance Cpl. Kenneth E. Madden III

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[DoughtyOne]

Good luck men. I think it's time for FR to get together with all it's buds and flood Iraq with tokens of our appreciation.

[Support Free Republic]

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[kellynla]

Thanks for the post.

Please keep my brothers from the 2/1 1st Mar. Div. in your prayers!

Semper Fi,
Kelly

[Betaille]

The way to avoid getting "bogged down" is to use absolutely ruthless and irresistable force. If we want this to be like the rebuilding of Europe after ww2 rather than being like vietnam... we have to be just as ruthless as we were in WW2. Being soft and "media-freindly" is a sure recipe for defeat.
I'm tired of us operating under the premise that if we are too ruthless in killing the terrorists, we will encourage more terrorism. Can you imagine if we had that attitude with the Nazis just after ww2?

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq(April 6, 2004) -- Two Marine battalions shut down access to the Iraqi city of Fallujah by early Monday morning in an effort to isolate and root out terrorists there.

By Tuesday, five Camp Pendleton Marines from the 1st Marine Division were killed and an unknown number of anti-coalition forces were dead. Firefights erupted after Marines came under mortar and rocket-propelled grenade attacks during the first two days of the operation.

"The city is surrounded," said 2nd Lt. James G. Vanzant to reporters at the onset of the operation. "It's an extended operation. We want to make a very precise approach to this... We are looking for the bad guys in town."

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

 

Bad news for the bad guys, in spite of press accounts to the contrary!

[international american]

BUMP

[dandelion]

God bless our brave boys - go DevilDogs!!

[lilylangtree]

Our prayers are with you! Keep safe!

[Yardstick]

Several large civic projects designed to boost employment and relieve harsh living conditions are planned for the city.

Sometimes it grabs me how outrageously benevolent we are.

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Please keep my brothers from the 2/1 1st Mar. Div. in your prayers!

Gratefully.

Thank you, kellynla.

[blackie]

Go Marines ~ Bump!

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[fatima]

We will pray Kelly.

[Alberta's Child]

Sometimes it grabs me how outrageously benevolent we are.

I agree. Carrying out "Peace Corps" projects under a "Marine Corps" combat environment is an absolute losing proposition.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

PRAYER HALL PUTSCH!!

[smiley]

Stay safe...we want our HEROS to return safely.

[WhereDidMyCountryGo]

Fox News is reporting an unknown number of American casualties in Fallujah. The bottom line is that George Bush chose to sacrifice the lives of American soldiers rather than bomb Fallujah and kill innocent (?) Iraqis. This wasn't an easy choice, but there could be tremendous fallout from Americans depending on the body count.

Does anyone but me find it strange that reporters aren't on the ground making reports as they did during the war? I suspect that someone has made a decision to hide American casualties from the viewing public.

[TrueBeliever9]

I suspect that someone has made a decision to hide American casualties from the viewing public.

For security of our troops!

I think the only thing "suspect" is you!

[Betaille]

"sacrifice the lives of American soldiers rather than bomb Fallujah and kill innocent (?) Iraqis."
Now you know what the Israelis feel like. Hundreds of Israelis have died avoiding innocent (?) palestinian deaths. Honestly, I think we would be more respected, not less... if we got really ruthless and flattened the resistors. Hey thats what the Arab govts. do.