Marines Encircle Fallouja (Operation Valiant Resolve commencing)

LA Times ^ | 4-4-04 | Tony Perry and Edmund Sanders

[BurbankKarl]

FALLOUJA, Iraq — Thousands of Marines surrounded this anti-American stronghold early today in preparation for a complex raid to retake control of the city and apprehend those responsible for last week's slayings of four U.S. security contractors.

The highly anticipated action, dubbed Operation Valiant Resolve, was expected to be one of the biggest military offensives since the fall of Saddam Hussein's government a year ago.

All roads leading to this city of 300,000 were cut off and barricaded with tanks and concertina wire. Working through the cold and windy desert night, under a large moon, Marines set up camps for detainees and residents who might flee any fighting. Before dawn, several Marine positions were hit by mortar rounds and rocket-propelled grenade fire. Bursts of automatic gunfire could be heard throughout the city.

[IamHD]

CLOTHING IS NOT AN OPTION! :)

[TOUGH STOUGH]

Praying for the troops and wishing for their success.

[Pegita]

Heavenly Father, we return to give You thanks that the battle is being waged ... be the Hand of protection that covers our fighting force ... be the Victor in battle ... let no one who would slaughter the innocent rise up again. In the Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen ...

[Getsmart64]

"where the bad guys will use women and children as shields"

So....they've been doing that since day one....what makes today any different???

[tbird1]

Burkas for sale
tbird1

[Getsmart64]

Yes...very good analysis on tactics...

[Fledermaus]

I disagree and I'm a "salt the place" king of person.

Two days would be prudent given the logistics and the fact that this article points to an operation where they are looking forward at the effects. Thus the camps for the detainees and prepardness for people fleeing.

I bet they stocked up on body bags for the dead Iraqi militia and ex-Ba'athtist they are going to kill.

[Travis McGee]

I'll tell you one thing: it's going to be a sniper's holiday in there. Every USMC sniper and designated marksman is going to put some notches on the old stock, and that's for certain.

You can bet the bad guys are setting up some NASTY IED ambushes in the addesses they expect us to hit. We could lose squads at a time if we're not lucky.

[MNJohnnie]

Actually, I am more then happy with 2500 Marines. Remember, more is not better. Send in too many and they get in each others way and we get lots of freindly fire casualties. Don't worry, 2500 Marines well supported by air and arty are more then enough for this job

[LibertyLight]

Thanks for sharing your LA Times info...
God Bless our Troops and the Light and Freedom of America.

[Cindy]

And Amen.

[Getsmart64]

Well...we do have 4K marines in the immediate area....a whole division of marines against one city??..no contest...as long as we are ready to accept the loss of troops...and we should...no matter what the cost...

expecting some military historians to step in here and blow my reasoning out of the water...

[Fledermaus]

These are the Saddam hold outs, ex-government officials, the elite and anointed (we call them Democrats in America and in my opinion, the Dems act just like them - just without the violence...so far!).

And the reminents of those released from his prisons.

[B4Ranch]

I don't think there will be to many sleeping a good night sleep tonite in FALLOUJA.

Semper Fi

[church16]

LITENING III is coming online...and LANTIRN is still a major player....but...but...you have to give them a target.....and yes!!.....LANTIRN owns the night!!!

LOL! Yeah, Lantirn is good, but the videos you will soon be seing will most likely not be a Blk 40 or Beagle with an old, decrepit Lantirn pod. Just my edumicated guess based on who's over there right now. Got some buds who just went over, and I'm familiar with their load out. Hope they keep some of the ass kicking videos for another "greatest hits" CD of terrorists being dismembered and being sent to hell, sans virgins.....

[Travis McGee]

It's so easily turned into a worldwide propaganda defeat for our troops. No matter how careful we are, it's likely to be seen on CNN and Al Jezeera as rampaging Nazi tanks driving over orphanages.

Remember how they fabricated the "Jenin Massacre" etc? Expect worse here, media treatment wise.

[txrangerette]

Yeah, and some will pretend to
surrender, then start shooting
& bombing. Some will be kids.

The ways of the Ba'athist sub-
humans. Seen it all before, eh?

Let's Roll...

[bayourod]

"If Americans enter the city, there will be clashes with the resistance and a lot of innocent civilians will be lost," said Hamid Saleh, 41, owner of a small market in the city."

So what's your point Hamid?

[BushMeister]

I too am worried about the IED factor. Maybe out troops have one of those devices that supposedly saved Musharraf- a frequency-shifting transmitter designed to set of IEDs before our troops reach them. Wouldn't that be fun for the enemy?