Posted on 05/14/2004 4:18:42 AM PDT by Eurotwit
FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - The Iraqi general leading a force that controls Falluja said he had no plans to disarm insurgents, defying demands by U.S. commanders who appointed him and raising tension with Marines encircling the restive city.
Mohammed Latif, a former intelligence officer who now heads the Falluja Brigade, also told Reuters in an interview late on Thursday that U.S. forces should go home if they wanted peace.
"Weapons are not the problem. They are easy to collect," he said. "What we need to do is rebuild our country. There is no need for American soldiers. I am sure the Americans would be happy to go to their homes."
Latif's comments came after he held lengthy talks with Major-General James Mattis, the commander of the 1st Marines Division encircling Falluja.
The two appeared to have markedly different perspectives on how the Falluja operation was going.
"We discussed all our problems but we didn't find any problems," Latif said after he, Mattis and other U.S. commanders had shared a traditional Iraqi meal of lamb and rice at a U.S. camp on the outskirts of Falluja.
"Everything is easy and going well. The population is really satisfied. There are no bullets at night in Falluja, like in Baghdad," said Latif, who commands a 1,800-strong force made up largely of former soldiers from Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s disbanded army.
But Mattis, repeating comments from other U.S. commanders, sounded much less at ease and said time was running out.
"We have to get done what we came to get done. I am always a bit impatient," he said. "We want it all: peace, the weapons and the foreign fighters dead or out of here. Negotiations are going fine but they can always go faster."
Latif and a group of generals offered to tame Falluja with their Falluja Brigade after the city was subject to a month-long siege in which hundreds of Iraqis died as U.S. air strikes and guerrilla mortars obliterated parts of the town.
PATIENCE VS PRESSURE
U.S. commanders would like to see Latif's force go into the restive city and round up weapons from stubborn insurgents. Latif argues that if U.S. commanders wait, the weapons will eventually be handed over and the situation will calm down.
A truce, which brought an end to the U.S. siege, has been holding for a couple of weeks.
But U.S. commanders are losing patience and have said they will renew their offensive if their conditions are not met.
Under the truce, some 2,000 Marines backed by tanks and armored vehicles pulled to Falluja's outskirts to allow Iraqi forces to hunt down weapons and crush the estimated 100 foreign fighters believed to be holed up inside the Sunni stronghold.
Many residents in Falluja, a heavily tribal and clannish society still largely loyal to toppled leader Saddam Hussein, consider the partial withdrawal of the world's only superpower as a victory.
Something tells me a deadline is in order.
THIS is how to lose the election....Americans want these pigs brought to justice....if the US citizens feel like Bush is losing his nerve to do what must be done, it will cost him dearly.
"We want...the foreign fighters dead or out of here."
Is the commander on the scene saying that the foreign fighters can just leave, to murder and desecrate the bodies of civilian reconstruction workers another day?
No, Bush has the "hard line" on this issue no matter how it plays out. And, in fact, all most Americans hear on the news is that Fallujah is "quiet." And that's what they want . . . until they realize that it's a temporary lull in fighting that accomplishes nothing.
Who do you propose to do the job, if not President Bush?
No, the commander on the scene is saying that he wants them dead or out in the open where they can be killed more easily, rather than in an urban warfare environment.
Was this an excerpt? I didn't notice the part of the story apologizing for all the prior erroneous stories telling us taht a different Sadaam General would be heading the Falujah brigade. Being in the liberal media means never having to say you're sorry.
The Iraqi general leading a force that controls Falluja said he had no plans to disarm insurgents, defying demands by U.S. commanders who appointed him and raising tension with Marines encircling the restive city.Possibilities:
1. We've been duped.
2. The Iraqi general is making public statements to make himself look "independent" while quietly and effectively working with us.
I do not know why you, and another poster, would think that I was suggesting that someone other than Bush should lead us...My POINT, and only point, is that Bush has made an error by backing off....and the American people want JUSTICE and JUSTICE NOW....Kerry is taking advantage of this...it is NOT a matter of who I think can best lead, it is a matter of LOSING support for Bush, and POSSIBLY handing the election to a dufus coward lying scumbag like Kerry.
The POINT was that backing off is a mistake that can hurt Bush (not who is best to lead)...the POINT is what the VOTERS think, not what you and I think.
These are two separate, but intertwined issues. Perhaps 1/4 of Americans (you and I included) would prefer to see a more hard-line stance in Fallujah and Najaf; about 1/4 want a "peace-at-any-cost"/appeasement solution. The reamining 50% (or more) don't keep up with the daily details enough to have an opinon on what should be done specifically in places like Fallujah.
Well, to be fair, it appeared that for a while a former Saddam guy would be heading the brigade, until he was replaced. I still haven't figured out what happened to him.
Obviously by my post, I disagree with your assesment that the voter doesn't view this as "backing off"...I point to polls that show a weakening of support for Bush's handling of the war.
Of course, I hope I am wrong.
"Who do you propose to do the job, if not President Bush?"
Certainly NOT John Kerry OR Ralph Nader. There must be a reason for the delay in disarming those thugs.
hang on folks.....let's see how this works out
BTW, I disagree with your current tagline --- As bad as Amtrak is, it's really unfair to Amtrak to compare it to CNN. :)
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