Iraqis Hail Falluja 'Victory' as U.S. Changes Tack

Reuters ^ | 5-1-04 | By Fadel Badran

[jpsb]

Bush, ruled out, correct me if I am mistaken, any large scale operation to take Fallujha. So what was the Marine Commander to do? He had to come up with some kind of plan to bring law and order back to Fallujah. This is his plan, I hope it works, I think it's good a real chance of working. The resistance fighter are not the terrorists. The resistance fighters stood their ground and fought like men. They deserve a little respect for that. Personally I would have preferred letting the marines take the damn town and giving the resistance fighters a descent grave.

The screw up, if there was one, time will tell, was in the White House.

And the screw up was not so much Fallujah but in making this look more and more like another Vietnam, where the troops are not allowed to fight the enemy no matter where they find them.

[jpsb]

We blinked

[PushinTin]

First the U S Government is NOT sending mixed signals. The American and foreign press are sending mixed signals. The majority of these reporters no nothing about war or military tactics period. It's simple, they have an agenda to make Bush and the US look as bad as possible. Making up sensational stories that justify their cause are perfectly acceptable. Anytime your read a newspaper your BS Meter should be already pegged.

[bert]

...The way to pacify a hostile population is to kill them....

The question at issue is the definition of "hostile population".

It is my understanding that the population is not completely hostile. At least a third fled. There is consistant reporting that there only 2k or so bad guys to be exterminated. The balance or 198k are not hostile to the point of taking up arms.

You are correct in that we must now wait and see. As the beseiger, time is our friend.

[faithincowboys]

Perhaps, this is the right way to proceed-- I have my doubts!!

[power2]

Thanks for the link.

I was pretty down about the Fallujah thing, thinking Bush had retreated and wasted the lives of those who had died in the last couple of weeks, but reading that article has helped.

The problem I see is that the press is going to play this thing as a massive defeat, and the sheeple are going to buy it. It doesn't help that gunmen are running around the city with impunity shooting in the air, celebrating their "victory" of the USA.

[jpsb]

Facts are facts and the facts seem pretty clear.

The Marines did not take Fallujah by force of arms.

The Marines are withdrawing from the city to positions out side the City

A Saddamn general is raising a Iraqis amry to police the city.

The Iraqis Army will include member of the Fallujah resisstance

Once the city is under control of the new Iraqis Army, all including the Marines will be allowed safe passage into and out of the city

The Iraqis forces are under the command of the Marines. (yea right).

Did I leave anything out?

[jpsb]

Well, the way the Romans and later the Huns figured it, was if the city had organized resistance susfishent to warrant a siege then the entire city was punished once taken. Seems like a pretty good rule of thumb.

[power2]

The Iraqis have to seize the initiative and actively participate in the rebuilding and policing of their country. Fallujah is a good place to start and it will be interesting to see how the situation develops.

What about the capture of the thugs who hung Americans from the bridge? I hope part of this deal was the new Iraqi brigade will find them and turn them over....if not, this is a political surrender. I say that as someone who has backed Bush on EVERYTHING in this war.

[Owen]

Guys, it's a city of 300,000. At least what, 60% would be women and children. How do you tell the Marines to "kill the hostile population"? How do you tell them to go in and mow down everything that moves or cries or looks for candy?

The numbers were 10:1 for April. Most of the enemy was probably already killed.

[power2]

The Iraqis have to seize the initiative and actively participate in the rebuilding and policing of their country. Fallujah is a good place to start and it will be interesting to see how the situation develops.

What about the capture of the thugs who hung Americans from the bridge? I hope part of this deal was the new Iraqi brigade will find them and turn them over....if not, this is a political surrender. I say that as someone who has backed Bush on EVERYTHING in this war.

[power2]

The Iraqis have to seize the initiative and actively participate in the rebuilding and policing of their country. Fallujah is a good place to start and it will be interesting to see how the situation develops.

What about the capture of the thugs who hung Americans from the bridge? I hope part of this deal was the new Iraqi brigade will find them and turn them over....if not, this is a political surrender. I say that as someone who has backed Bush on EVERYTHING in this war.

[ASA Vet]

You're just not seeing the larger picture.

This retreat repositioning is part of the "overwhelming response" promised a few weeks ago.

[jpsb]

US forces have and can get hostle cities. But it ain't pretty and it requires lots of troops. Most women and children survive, most bad guys don't.

[oceanview]

It may well be difficult to find those exact persons, do you realize the percentage of murderers in the US who are never caught?

I urge everyone to just let this play out, let's see what happens. For sure, this plan is not without risks, it could go badly, there is no doubt about that. And this kind of "the Marines lost" spin was inevitable.

If these iraqi security forces become indistinguishable from the insurgents in Fallujah, then we will know we were snookered. Hopefully we have told General Saleh - if this happens, YOU ARE DEAD.

[Last Dakotan]

Wimp II?

All we need now is a third party free trade bashing populist to enter the race and enough conservatives (read Toomey voters) to stay home.

[Jabba the Nutt]

"The picture of Bush sitting at the fireplace and saying he will use whatever means necessary to rid Fallujah of terrorists will be what wagging his finger at us and telling use he did not have sex with that women was to Bill Clinton...."

You'd be right, if Kerry/Democrats were promising to be tougher than Bush. Unfortunately, they're not, in fact, I've heard no voices wanting a tougher anti-terror fight. So, Bush can be as wimpy as he wants to be.

[dts32041]

Just asked the question, not editorializing.

[jpsb]

"If these iraqi security forces become indistinguishable from the insurgents in Fallujah"

I think that is part of the deal, we really don't care about the insurgents, we are after the terrorists, the car bombers etc. We'll just have to put up with insurgents partoling the Fallujah streets. Nobody likes it, but it's a done deal.

[Jeeper]

"God has given this town victory over the Americans," wailed a message from one mosque. "This victory came by the acts of the brave Mujahideen of Falluja who
vanquished the American troops."

When did the propaganda machine of our enemy become 'off limits' as legitimate military targets? We need to win the propaganda war as well.