Fallujah pullback opportunity, not necessarily agreement to end fight: Abizaid (MUST READ!!!)

AFP ^ | Fri, Apr 30, 2004 | AFP

[Eurotwit]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The withdrawal of marines from Fallujah is "an opportunity, not necessarily an agreement" to end fighting for the city, the commander of US forces in Iraq (news - web sites) said, warning that military action may still be needed to root out foreign fighters.

General John Abizaid said the United States will not tolerate foreign fighters in the city, and will insist on heavy weapons coming off the streets and on freedom of movement for marines and Iraqi security forces.

He said it should be understood that "what we have there is an opportunity, and not necessarily an agreement."

"The opportunity is to build an Iraqi security force from former elements of the army that will work under the command of coalition forces and that will be mentored and work next to coalition forces," he told Pentagon (news - web sites) reporters in a video teleconference from Qatar.

"And I think we must be very careful in thinking that this effort to build an Iraqi capacity will necessarily calm down the situation in Fallujah tonight or over the next several days," he said.

Abizaid said all military options remained "on the table."

"It may still be necessary to conduct very robust military operations in Fallujah. We hope we don't have to do that," he said.

The general, who heads the US Central Command, singled out the need to get rid of foreign fighters -- and in particular Abu Mussab Zarqawi, who he said had used Fallujah as a base of operations.

"This idea that there will be a safe haven for him (Zarqawi) is absolutely unacceptable. Nor will we or our Iraqi partners allow foreign fighters to freely roam the country and attack indiscriminately and use Iraqi civilians as shields from which to conduct military operations," he said.

He said even the best Iraqi forces would be unable to bring Zarqawi's fighters under control.

"So we will have to eliminate that enemy in a way that does not allow that force to challenge us throughout Iraq and other places at other times. No doubt some will infiltrate out, and some will find other means to escape," he said.

Strikingly, Abizaid made no specific mention of former members of the old regime's security apparatus who are believed to be leading the insurgency in the Sunni heartland, including Fallujah.

The omission suggested that commanders hope the new force led by a former Iraqi major general will neutralize Baathist insurgents.

The general said he did not know Major General Jassem Mohamed Saleh, who will lead the Iraq Protection Army, a new Iraqi security force that will take over positions inside the city from the marines.

Iraqis cheered and waved flags as Saleh entered the city Friday, as marines began their withdrawal from the city, pulling down barbed wire defenses from around the soda factory that had served as their headquarters in the city's southern industrial area.

"Yes, there is some room for optimism there," Abizaid said. "But the details of how we will build an Iraqi security capacity there will take some time. We need to have some patience."

"It is a possible breakthrough, but certainly the conditions that must be met are foremost on our minds, and that has to do with the restoring of law and order in Fallujah," he said.

Asked about the fate of those who killed four US contractors in the city March 31, setting off the confrontation, Abizaid said getting them was a "non-negotiable objective."

"Now, I think it would be a stretch for you to say they are in Fallujah. I can't tell you that, nor can anyone else," he added.

[jpsb]

Don't get to happy. if I am right, this will play out one city at a time. And there are still a few cities to go yet.

[Technocrat]

Doesn't look like it in this version of the Koran.

[Gucho]

"Well never get the bast*rds that killed the contractors, too bad about that."

Don't be too sure of that.

[SevenDaysInMay]

Our Marines rest while the islamists disperse among the Saddamnites to rearm. Fallajagrad was not going well.

Peace will not break out because islam is islam, wherein treacherous winner takes all.

Our Marine riflemen were killing too many with well aimed bullets. Mullahs were demanding that our snipers quit their erffective work as it could not be good video for All Jazz Era broadcast. Clerics prefer our use of cannon and bombs damaging homes and mosques.

Islamists have engaged us in this war of annihilation. If we do not destroy them, our children's children shall pay forever.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

By allowing and putting an Iraqi face on Fallujah and Najaf...we have moved the deadline up two months.

Damned clever I would say!

[Cap Huff]

I feel uneasy about it, but that is at least partly because it is so unexpected, and seemingly so sudden. It's jarring.

On the other hand something like this doesn't just come out of the clear blue. Maybe there was movement in this direction going on under the radar. Here's my off-the-wall guess. The forces were already being trained, and this Gen. Salah was being screened and cleared for a comeback role when the Fallujah thing broke out. Plans got fast-tracked. That's my guess.

I noted this yesterday:

This was in the Washington Post story that was pasted into the long “pull-back” thread:

“Byrne said that under the agreement, reached at 11.30 Wednesday night (3.30 pm EDT) the Fallujah Protection Army would be a subordinate command reporting to Lt. Gen. James P. Conway, the commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, which is in charge of Western Iraq, including Fallujah.”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1126525/posts?page=126#126

Somehow I don’t think Lt Gen Conway is going to take a lot of pussy-footing from the FPT. Marine generals are not bred that way.

[Gucho]

Kerry talking live on how to solve Iraq War. YAWN

[Cap Huff]

That's a pretty good take on what may be happening.

[Capt. Tom]

It's BS. -tom

"9.10": They do not pay regard to ties of relationship nor those of covenant in the case of a believer; and these are they who go beyond the limits.

"9.11": But if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, they are your brethren in faith; and We make the communications clear for a people who know.

"9.12": And if they break their oaths after their agreement and (openly) revile your religion, then fight the leaders of unbelief -- surely their oaths are nothing -- so that they may desist.

[js1138]

Hoax:

Verse 9:11 of the Qur'an is about repentance and reads as follows in three different English translations:

But (even so), if they repent, establish regular prayers, and practise regular charity, they are your brethren in Faith: (thus) do We explain the Signs in detail, for those who understand.

But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then are they your brethren in religion. We detail Our revelations for a people who have knowledge.

But if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, they are your brethren in faith; and We make the communications clear for a people who know.

[oceanview]

they ought to make it clear to this General Saleh character - if his forces become indistinguishable from the insurgents, he's DEAD.

[FreeReign]

So let's take stock:

No place in your taking-stock post do you mention all of the bad guys who were killed. Ya know, the bad guys who were making Fallujah unstable, which is why we were there in the first place.

You didn't take stock.

[Gucho]

"I have it on mute - I can not listen to him"

Mute has never been so golden :-)

[Dog]

Like I said....there are Special Ops hunkered down in Fallujah.....IMHO......and I'm sure we left a few neat listening devices scattered about the rubble.

[Polybius]

So let's take stock: -After a siege of about a month, the city never was taken. -A general under Saddam is taking charge of the armed forces within the city, a city that benefitted greatly under Saddam's regime. He showed for his first day on the job wearing his old uniform. -The people who have been fighting the Marines all month will now be patrolling the streets freely and openly and will be responsible for the city's security. -Those who mutiliated and killed the contractors last month- dozens and dozens of them- are still free. -Their hero, Al-Sadr, is still in Najaf talking sh*t. -The Marines are leaving the field. Now, how all that doesn't tally up to victory for the armed faction in Fallujah, I've no idea.

I will leave it up to you to take stock before the battle is over.

The battle it not yet over but you have declared it to be. Just as others declared this battle to be over two days before the AC-130's were shown blasting the insurgents on live satellite feed.

The U.S. Marine Corps is stating that it's troops are being repoitioned around Fallujah but you are declaring a "retreat". When Stonewall Jackson left his positions opposite the Union front during the Battle of Chancellorsville, that must have been a "retreat" too. Yep. Old Stonewall "retreated" with his tail between his legs.

The Iraqi General will be reporting directly to a U.S. Marine Corps Colonel but you claim that he "will be in charge".

Hundreds of insurgetnts in Fallujah have died and this could very well have included those who killed the American contractor but you claim to know that they are still free.

These defeatist hysterics are the same hysterics that were going around when the ground advance to Baghdad was stopped to give our air power time to annihilate the Republican Guard divisions. If CNN and Reuters said that the Iraqis had stopped the U.S. Army and we were in a quagmire the previous hysterics must have been true.

I will will "take stock" after the battle is over and the fog of war has cleared.

Not before.

"In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies."..........................Fortitude South: D-Day Deception

[ZULU]

Abu Zaid had it right.

There WAS an opportunity in Fallujah. An opportunity to demonstrate Yankee Justice and show the other fanatics in Iraq what they would face if they tried the same thing.

Unfortunately the only current opportunity is the lesson that terrorists, insurgents, Baathists, etc, can use civilians as shields and civilian population centers and mosques as sites to conduct effective anti-American propganada exercises with impugnity.

[el_texicano]

Ok people, I think you ALL have performed a great community service in correcting an errant soul. Your point is taken,

ALRIGHT!!! I WAS WRONG. I WAS WRONG. I WAS WRONG. I WAS WRONG...ad infinitum.

Sheesh...do I need to write this a hundred times on the blackboard??????

You can all now go back to your lives...Crap, I guess I'm the only one in FR that makes a frikkin mistake...