Posted on 04/30/2004 9:47:18 AM PDT by 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.
President Bush KNOWS the marines could take Fallujah easily. However the President also appreciates that any attendant collateral damage could hand the radical Arabs a propaganda victory. Remember, we need to win hearts and minds for our Iraq nation-building exercise to be a success.
As the British learned to their sorrow in Massachusetts, 1775, using a mailed fist to quell a bunch of hotheads can cause a local problem to erupt into a widespread civil insurrection.
President Bush knows what he is doing. So let's cease the criticism and second-guessing, and show some patience.
(Note the verse number...)
Truely stunning. You can't make up stuff this good!
Spare me the self righteous BS gaykay, in reality you are no better than the rest of us. Nor do you have some extra, extra, insight to how a president should conduct business.
There is a difference between holding the President accountable and throwing a unproductive infantile hissy fit at every single thing some think he didnt do perfectly.
The cool aid drinking ,rino crap is old and weak. The president is overall doing a great job. Heres the new deal, Im not taking people constantly trashing the President anymore, or the more conservative than thou elitism.
I believe the press
when they say the Taliban
has been crushed, beaten.
I believe the press
when they say Saddam's regime
has been crushed, beaten.
I believe the press
when they say Saddam himself
is our prisoner.
Our military
has accomplished everything
it set out to do.
No more state-sponsored
terrorism from these states --
the states are deep-sixed.
Press comparisons
of Iraq and Vietnam
aren't worth sliced cheese.
But in crushing the
Taliban or Saddam, we
did not settle for
a political
work-around, like Fallujah.
This city appears
to be a shift in
our policy and our goals,
from military
goals that are easy
to see when they're accomplished,
to political
"solutions" that look
a lot like the "problems" if
you're outside the loop.
And nobody here
needs the press to remind us
what that compares to.
We have apparently gave Fallujah to the people we have been fighting. I guess we'll let Al- Sadr keep Najaf. I guess we'll have to wait for things to really start popping in Bagdad and the rest of the cities and country to see what orwho gets them.
My guess we'll try to find someone like Saddam help set him, up declare victory and go home. Or else let the U.N. come in and do the same. If we can do this quickly and get our soldiers home is the only thing that looks reasonable at this point to me.
I don't believe that. There is no way that we're letting Fallujah go. Why would we pull back and bring in Iraqis? Well the rebels are reduced to using women and children as shields. Bad PR for Americans, but Iraqi soldiers or Baa'thists if civilian casualties should occur? Same thing if we had immediately leveled the city. The wailing and accusations of brutality would be heard up at the Mars space station.
We need to sit back and wait. There is no way that we're going to let the criminals in Fallujah get away with what they did. I predict that Fallujah is in for a nasty surprise. Have faith.
Disruptors paid by the DNC. Seriously.
Prairie
Meanwhile, The marines are still in position and fully capable to move on Fallujah if giving the Iraqis a chance to take bullets for their own country doesnt work.
Its easy to get discouraged, but we have to see this through.
Did you expect this to be a cake walk?
I do wish Bush would send more troops and not expect the commanders there to ask for them, when the extended stay of some who were told they were going home proves we could use some more men on the ground.
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