U.S. Authorities Release Prominent Cleric ("Thanks be to god for the victory in Fallujah")

AP ^ | Thu, Apr 29, 2004 | AP

[Eurotwit]

FALLUJAH, Iraq, - U.S. authorities on Thursday released a prominent Sunni Muslim cleric arrested last year in the tense city of Fallujah.

Sheik Jamal Shaker Nazzal, the imam of Fallujah's Grand Mosque, said his release was part of a deal between the city's residents and U.S. occupation authorities seeking to defuse the ongoing crisis around the besieged city.

"We suffered a lot in prison but with God's help and that of the people of Fallujah I gained my freedom," he said. "Thanks be to God for the victory of Fallujah."

There was no comment from U.S. authorities on the release.

Nazzal, an outspoken opponent of the U.S. occupation, was taken into custody in October. Soon after his arrest, a previously unknown group called the "Hamza Platoon" threatened to attack U.S. troops unless the cleric was freed.

[mikegi]

Who says we are defeated?

Who is in control in Fallujah, us or the terrorists? Case closed.

[mlbford2]

~~succumbed to terminal twit-ness...~~

this is the first time in my life that I hope I am a total twit. But for someone who has lived in the Middle East for 20+ yrs, I can say with some expertise that from initial appearance, this whole thing is not being hanldled in a decisive manner that will gain the control and respect of people in that region. People whom I have interacted with and understand.

[don'tbedenied]

Here chicken little read this blog: http://belmontclub.blogspot.com/2004_04_01_belmontclub_archive.html
Then tell me we're "losing".

[Eurotwit]

See my post to Dog.

In a way, I totally share your sentiments expressed on the other thread. Yet, I realise that this is a very hairy situation.

I will wait before I jump to any conclusions.

Who knows? If these Iraqifization ideas ends up being implemented, they might end up being a smashing success.

I must admit that I sometimes feel like the coalition should take a page out of the Thai playbook and clean up the mess once and for all. Make a parking lot out of the "holy" shrines in Najaf. Drop a MOAB on top of the bastards in Fallujah. But, then again how well has similar strategies worked for the Russians so far?

What do you think?

[swarthyguy]

Too many Americans view events from the viewpoint of rational modernists or like most of us, from our own prisms, encompassing modern thought, the viability of negotiations, fruitful compromises and meaningful concessions to achieve a commonality.

That's not how homey looks at it.

ANd the message of Falluja is :

Look we held off the Americans for a month.

[swarthyguy]

Najaf is the Mecca of the Shiites. Wouldn't be prudent.

That would be bad, and I think that's being handled fine.

But a victory in Falluja would've given us more leverage over the Shias and strengthened our hand.

As it is, I'm cheering the return of the Baathis. Too many of us believe our own propaganda about the Baathis.

Enemy of my enemy....they are secularists and the US has worked with them in the 70's and the 80's.

Regardless, even after the Baathis beat the jihadis, the jihadis will take the msg of the Fallujans holding off the Americans for a month as an inspiration.

[Eurotwit]

"Regardless, even after the Baathis beat the jihadis, the jihadis will take the msg of the Fallujans holding off the Americans for a month as an inspiration."

Unfortunately I agree.

If (and I still say IF) these withdrawal reports pan out, look out for Osama gloating in his next tape.

That said, succeeding with the overall objetive in Iraq will out trump the Fallujah incident. IMHO.

[McGavin999]

I don't like what I see in Fallujah.

You haven't even seen what is going on in Fallujah, so how can you either like or dislike it.

I'm rather surprised at the emotional hand wringing I'm seeing. Bush is NOT running the war, he has given his generals full freedom. That said, the generals are aware that winning the battle and losing the war is not an option. We have some pretty clever people over there, and since I seriously doubt if anyone in the media is being clued in on what is happening, I suggest we all withhold judgement until we can figure out what the plan is here.

I do know that Chief Wiggles (an intel officer in Iraq) had questioned a couple of Iraqi generals and he determined they were pretty good guys. Perhaps these are the generals who are going to be put in charge. If they can put together a troop of Iraqi military who are worthwhile and they can take out the guys in Fallujah that would be a win in my book. If it doesn't work and they turn out to be bad guys, we can bomb them right along with the rest.

[been_lurking]

Who is in control in Fallujah, us or the terrorists? Case closed.

The coalition has control in Fallujah.

Take a look at some maps. Read a little about the tactical situation. Do some homework. The terrorists have been squeezed into a tiny corner of the city where they are trapped. There numbers have been reduced, their supply is cut-off, and their weapons caches are being destroyed. Local residents are giving more and more information to Coalition troops which aided in this weeks successful attacks. Over 3/4ths of the city is occupied by Marines and Coalition forces. On balance, I'd say that constitutes "control".

I'm sorry the pace of this activity may be too slow for those who wanted a 1-1/2 hour war video.

[NJ_gent]

"ut for someone who has lived in the Middle East for 20+ yrs"

Well, since you've lived in the area and (presumably) have picked up a sense of how things work over there, I've a mildly off-topic question for you. Would the Arabs have held us in any higher regard if we'd bombed the hell out of Fallujah from 30,000 ft? I suspect they would not, simply because dropping bombs from above shows technology at work, rather than the strength of our people. Also, would it have made a significant difference in how we were viewed if we'd done something more 'hands-on', such as seal off Fallujah and send in massive numbers of troops, tanks, and armoured vehicles supported by Spectres and helicopters in order to completely dismantle the resistance there? I've been thinking this would make for a drastic difference in how we were regarded, but I'm certainly not an expert in how things work over there.

I know you can't speak for everybody, but with what you know of the culture from your time spent there, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

[UnsinkableMollyBrown]

Are you suggesting that it is not true? That US Authorities have not released a prominent cleric?

Man! I am soo tired of so many FReepers implying that there must be some secret plan to explain such outrageous actions by our government. Sometimes it really is just as it appears to be.

There was a time on Free Republic, and what originally attracted me to this site, when news articles were subject serious analysis, examination, and cross checked against other sources and evidence. Free Republic was best investigative source in the world. Intelligent men and women methodically got to the truth with good honest research. Free Republic was the champion of truth, the light of the media! Here is where the real story was found.

Our government is doing outrageous things: Iraq, TSA, Homeland Security, No Child Left Behind, Immigration Control, etc. etc. Seriously examining the motivation and reasoning behind these appears taboo. So, I suppose I have but one question. Should political philosophy shape our willingness to discover the truth?

[NJ_gent]

"I must admit that I sometimes feel like the coalition should take a page out of the Thai playbook and clean up the mess once and for all. Make a parking lot out of the "holy" shrines in Najaf. Drop a MOAB on top of the bastards in Fallujah. But, then again how well has similar strategies worked for the Russians so far?

What do you think?"

I think the Russians carpet-bombed town after town, city after city in Afghanistan, and still were driven from that country. I think they shelled and bombed the hell out of Grozny in ~'95 and again in '99, but were driven out in '96 and may yet be driven out again. I don't think you win these sorts of battles without men on the ground systematically eliminating weapons supplies and hostiles. The military is a broadsword, not a sledgehammer and not a scalpel - the more we try to use it like something it's not, the more we taste what the Russians have been feasting on in about half a dozen countries for the past 50 years.

[Guillermo]

Consider this from the Wash Post:

U.S. military officials in Iraq said that because of political sensitivities, overall policy decisions about the standoff in Fallujah are being made by the White House, and Marine commanders have been reluctant to make public pronouncements about what should be done. But privately, many say they believe the only way to eliminate the insurgency is through a series of large raids.

They note that a cease-fire agreement signed April 19 has largely been ignored by people in the city. Although the deal called for such heavy arms as mortars and rocket-propelled grenades to be surrendered to the Marines, all they have received is a small assortment of rusty, inoperable weapons.

More significantly, Marines note, insurgents were supposed to stop attacking U.S. positions. But front-line Marine posts are fired on almost daily in some places, prompting the Americans to respond with everything from sniper fire to precision-guided 500-pound bombs dropped by Air Force fighter jets.

"The only way to ensure that we really get these guys is for us to go in and take them out," a Marine officer said.

(Vietnam was fough from the White House)

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

What a bunch of pansies! We've only been there a little over a year and you're throwing up your hands because of one setback? Study the reports about World War II. My gosh! Get some freaking backbone and hunker down for a long, drawn out slugfest. Down wuss out now!

[colorado tanker]

You haven't even seen what is going on in Fallujah

Firm grasp of the obvious.

If they can put together a troop of Iraqi military who are worthwhile and they can take out the guys in Fallujah that would be a win in my book

True, although that's a pretty big if.

What I do know is that we surrounded Fallujah and announced the Marines were going in to pacify the city. Didn't happen. Then, for many days U.S. Generals said if the Iraqis don't adhere to an agreement to turn in their weapons, we were going in. They didn't and we didn't. Then we were going to have joint U.S. and Iraqi patrols. Didn't happen. Now, we are told U.S. forces are pulling back and an Iraqi unit is going into Fallujah. I agree, that might work in killing or disarming the bad guys. Wanna place a small wager on that? I bet they find precious few bad guys or weapons.

As the cleric in the article said, right now the bad guys think if they hang tough they can face us down. They think they've won a round. If we do eventually go in, that will make our job that much harder. This is not the picture we want to present. That part of the world respects strength and disrespects restraint.

[Eurotwit]

I agree with you that a leveling the town or anything of that nature is not conducive to achieving the overall objective.

My uneducated (and uninformed) opinion is that the Iraqifization track is the right one to pursue.

[Eurotwit]

I think the Times is doing a story in their friday edition of how many marines were shocked regarding these developments.

But, I want to add that however much I respect (and admire) the marines on the ground, I would assume that they don't have access to the all the relevant information regarding the overall situation and the dilemmas faced in that respect.

I trust the people in charge to make the best decision based on their judgment, and I support the president.

[mlbford2]

NJ_gent:

I don't think that it really makes a difference how we get it done. Sure, they will moan and complain regardless, but will quickly subside. People in that region forget details rather quickly and remember the overall outcome only. What we are doing now is only fueling their belief that America can be beat. You see, Middle Easterners have a little bit of a chip on their shoulders because their societies have not progressed with the Western societies. They realize they cannot beat the US, but to bloody its nose would be considered a HUGE victory for all muslim countries. The US cannot allow this ball to get rolling. The ME will continue to be a giant headache for the US. My prediction is that within 15yrs, the ME conflict will come to a cataclysmic finale. And I believe that nuclear weapons will definately be involved. I do not beleive we can head this off. The PC global crowd will not allow this to happen. It will continue in the direction it is in until many thousands are killed. The radical islamists, backed by the overwhelming muslim masses--overseas and within the Us--will have their day. No doubt about it.

[Eurotwit]

Securing a democratic Iraq is the strategic objective. Fallujah is a tactical skirmish.

[TomasUSMC]

I suggest withholding judgment, and trust the people in charge.

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This was repeated over and over and over again between 1965 and 1975.