U.S. Plan for Fallujah Hits Snag

Washington Post ^ | May 2, 2004 | Rajiv Chandrasekaran and Scott Wilson

[onyx]

Before, after, or in between your personal insults ?





It is impossible to insult you.

[EternalHope]

This is looking more and more like a SNAFU.

No way. It's FUBAR.

[antonia]

11 Troops Killed in Attacks In Iraq
Military Backtracks on Fallujah Brigade Leader; Civilian Hostage Found
By Rajiv Chandrasekaran and Scott Wilson
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, May 3, 2004; Page A01
FALLUJAH, Iraq, May 2 --

Eleven U.S. service members in Iraq were killed in four attacks by insurgents late Saturday evening and Sunday, including six who died in a mortar attack, the military reported.

The generally accepted cause of campaign failure in the Vietnam war was political indecision and a lack of real commitment to winning; instead of just holding a line. Bombing halts coincident with US presidential elections tell the whole story. It seems that the same lack of commitment to real US interest and the interest of our own solder's our brave and beautiful sons and daughters, well being is again being sacrificed to the same muddling of objectives. I won't go into to the cause of that 'muddling' here.

There are too many persons in our government and country who confuse US interests with the the world's, and there are too many people in the world who do not have the same objectives as America needs, in order to have America survive.

As these brave American warriors in Fallujah have been put in harms way and have suffered unnecessary attacks on their own lives, so our country, this very soil, is put into harms way. We must not allow one more American to give up their life or to suffer any harm; because of these ignorant, viscous, worshippers of the cult of death; which Islam parades as a religion, but which is in fact is a political system which is much more accurately called Islamofascism. The people who have been brain washed by these lies are unfit for civilization. They are not now and never will be 'civilized'. "Heaven offers nothing that a mercenary soul can desire." C.S. Lewis

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

"Then you've heard something about arming the Fallujah whatever Army? I'd like to nail that down."

If you have not already found them:

The Fallujah Brigade and the Mahdi Army (Belmont Club)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1128271/posts

These limited duties are not surprising, given that the new Iraqi Brigade barely has guns, uniforms or boots.

Motivated by a desire to get the Iraqis supplied as soon as possible, the Marines reduced their usual turnaround time, said CSSG-15's operations officer, Maj. Raphael Hernandez, a 35-year-old native of El Paso, Texas. As soon as the fully loaded helicopters hit the ground here, they were met by trucks from pre-staged convoys, which were immediately loaded and sent rolling to marry up with the battalion.The supplies came in two waves, one containing 13 boxes of AK-47s, which left for Fallujah early in the morning, and another made up of 20 crates of uniforms, boots and miscellaneous combat gear, which left later in the evening...

Equipment to Fallujah Brigade
1st FSSG, USMC
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1128356/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1128368/posts

CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq - Supporting efforts to quickly employ Iraqis in helping coalition forces stabilize Fallujah, Marines of the 1st Force Service Support Group sped weapons and gear to the city to outfit a newly created Iraqi army battalion May 1, 2004....

[jaykay]

How long did he last? 1 day? Who had the over/under? The RG uni should have been the tip-off. Maybe we didn't pay him enough to spring for new threads.

[jaykay]

Did Bush hire Mad Halfbright when we weren't looking?

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

What gets me was all the FRKool-Aid drinkers who thought this was a wonderful plan. I think they will all slither away now. It didn't even get as far as *I* thought it would before being exposed as a self-inflicted disaster.

[jaykay]

we could assasinate General Saleh in about 15 seconds, he can't possibly think he could pull this off.

We could have slaughtered every terrorist in Fallujah a month ago but we didn't. Sure he thinks he can pull this off. He thinks so because he can. He's probably inside of a mosque or a house full of civilians. Off limits, untouchable. He knows how to play us, as does every terrorist in Iraq and the world.

[jaykay]

This is not an Army vs. Marine thing. They all did what they were allowed to do by D.C. Washington didn't want any part of confronting the hornet's nest in Fallujah. They were forced to by the global television spectacle of murder and atrocity involving the 4 American contractors. Now that they put on a show of force, they want to go back to the festering.

The blame for this mess belongs to the beurocrats, not the soldiers or Marines.

[jaykay]

there has to be something else to this, a missing piece. if indeed this deal materialized, and fell apart within 24 hours, but right after the arms for the new iraqi brigade were delivered - then our top military commanders who made these decision must all, to a man, be total idiots. I just can't believe that.

This is obviously a massive conspiracy to put me in the cardiac ward.

[MEG33]

What was your responsibility in the USMC?Were you in charge of a Brigade,a Battalion?

[jaykay]

I was surprised at how quickly the general threw us under the bus.

In my worst nightmares, I never imagined us arming him and his army.

Now the Marines have to fight again for ground they already won at a high cost. And they have to be shot with bullets and guns supplied to the enemy by us.

[MEG33]

How is it that you have enough information and command expertise to point out mistakes?

[jaykay]

In my worst nightmares, I never imagined us arming him and his army.

At least not before he and all of his men were positively vetted.

[MEG33]

You know this.. ?

[jaykay]

Know what? That the general betrayed us? Common knowledge at this point. It is the topic of the thread and has been reported widely. That we have armed his men? See post #144.

[MEG33]

That we will have to regain ground and be shot at by guns we supplied.

[jaykay]

Well, since the Marines have pulled back from their positions, they must now retake that ground, unless we are ready to use air power to destroy the enemy. If the reports that we armed the generals militia are correct, the Marines will be taking fire from the arms we supplied.

If all reports are wrong, the Marines never budged an inch, the arms were never delivered, then all is well.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

Well, we can just continue to retreat, shot at all the way, and turn Iraq over to thugs and terrorists free to build and use weapons of mass destruction against us without further interference - sometime after the election, of course.

[getgoing]

there is cause for concern...posted to another site a few days ago:

first hand Sit Rep from the lap top of xxxx xxxx xxxxxx in Fullujah. Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, is in the thick of combat against the bad guys. The 1Sgt speaks of "extreme prejudice and violent action!"
I'm back and here we go..Now for an update.....Currently Co. "E" 2/1 has 40 wounded and 3 KIA's.....wild huh?...mostly small shrapnel and eardrums, but had a Marine lose an arm and 1,a leg ...This place is too messed up to explain...We have been living in the northwest of Fallujah for 3 weeks now....Actually living in some homes we confiscated...across from us about 300 yards is the downtown area of Fallujah...We are shot at every night. We are mortared a lot as well...We always are firing back with our snipers and/or machine guns....It's almost surreal..We could be playing cards..we hear gunshots and booms..we keep playing....no big deal...Today, I have
to tell you about TODAY and our gun battle. We started receiving sniper fire from this Mosque/ tower...then some badguys threw grenades at our pos . on our roofs...Marines got wounded and Marines fought these $%^%$ close in. Frags were thrown and massive 5.56 was used in close prox. Anyway, my main job is causalities evacuation and accountability...So, hearing I have wounded, I jump in my hardened high back with my company corpsman and 4 security guys and rush to the scene...I've never been shot at so much in my life....During the medivac, AK's were firing at us 10 yards away....I would fire my M-16 with one hand while I was running back and forth....OH MY GOD>>> I think Carl Lewis would be proud of my speed getting these boys loaded up.Anyway, 8 wounded today, 1 died....I actually broke down and had the chaplain say a prayer while I hugged this guys head....He was a good Marine.....I am back in the rear tonight to rest my hurt back and rest my %^%$# brain....NEVER have I had so much blood around me....But you know what, PAYBACK is just around the %$#@# corner and I WILL not falter. I WILL get these boys ready to show no mercy and rid this town of this CANCER. Extreme prejudice and violence of action....I really have nothing intelligent to say...Just numb....I take these boys too personal sometimes.....We ARE the purple Heart Company..152 strength, 40 WIA, 3 KIA...1/3 of the company with 5 months to go...H@ll YEAH>>>>> God Bless our Corpsman and our Chaplains...They make a big difference out here....and God Bless Marine Corps fixed wing, Rotary gunships, artillery, mortars, machine guns and Iraqi body bags....
Out for now...
xxx xxx xxxx xxxxxx

God Bless America and the United States Marine Corps
Once One of the Few...Still One of the Proud

1st Sgt, we won't forget.
"We are going to have to change the that way we live, or America can change the way the terrorists live. We have chosen the latter." Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Sept. 18, 2001