*Extremely* interesting Fallujah news from Marine in area

The Green Side ^ | 6/2/04 | Major David G. Bellon, USMC

[saquin]

"Since we have stayed out of Falluja and focused elsewhere, the mujahadeen have had their run of the town.  As they have had no one to fight, they have turned their criminal instincts on the citizens.  The clerics who once were whipping these idiots into a suicidal frenzy are now having to issue Fatwas (holy decrees) admonishing the muj for extortion, rape, murder and kidnapping."

[Tarantulas]

Nice story, just the kind of thing people need to hear since the major news media won't report it. One thing I'm not clear on is why we're not in Fallujah any more. Was that because of al Sistani's request? Seems like it would be a humanitarian mission to go in and get rid of the bad guys.

[eccentric]

Thanks for posting this.

[DocRock]

Good post, thanks.

[mvpel]

I wish these stories could be authenticated - the soldiers I know over there can barely string a sentence together in the time they have available to them on the computers, let alone a finely-crafted piece of prose such as this.

[Rokke]

This information is as accurate as it gets. Good stuff. The mujahideen are not native Fallujans and are not making themselves welcome. In fact, they're making us look pretty damn good. They're doing more damage to their cause than we could have done in a year, and it's not costing us a single Marine life inside Fallujah. It's not over yet, and there are still several conditions we need to see before we can declare success, but things are progressing very well at this point.

[microgood]

Great post. Thanks. I wonder if our troops seeing the drugs mean they have gotten down to the less fanatic and more mercenary types. Not sure but it makes you so proud of those soldiers, facing what they are up against daily with such steely resolve.

[gilliam]

My experience with some soldiers is that they do a very good job of communicating. It depends on the person I suppose.

[Plutarch]

This is a much more inscisive analysis of the situation than we will find anywhere else, including and especially the MSM.

[JLS]

Thanks for this post. Does the writer's use of the term muj indicate he has been in Afghanistan too?

[Amelia]

I wish these stories could be authenticated - the soldiers I know over there can barely string a sentence together in the time they have available to them on the computers, let alone a finely-crafted piece of prose such as this.

I tend to doubt such stories for the same reason...also didn't think they were allowed to send so many details.

[GretchenM]

Equally astounding is evidence that these "holy warriors" are taking drugs to get high before attacks. It true, as we pushed into the town in April many Marines came across drug paraphernalia (mostly heroin). Recently, we have gotten evidence of them using another drug BZ that makes them high and very aggressive. Cowards and hypocrites. They don't have the nerve to fight without calming their fear with drugs. Between highs, they are robbing people and raping young girls. Some jihad.

Just wanted to reprise that.

[egarvue]

Ping for further reading. Thanks.

[Lancey Howard]

BUMP for great freeping!

[Diddle E. Squat]

Equally astounding is evidence that these "holy warriors" are taking drugs to get high before attacks. It true, as we pushed into the town in April many Marines came across drug paraphernalia (mostly heroin). Recently, we have gotten evidence of them using another drug BZ that makes them high and very aggressive. Cowards and hypocrites. They don't have the nerve to fight without calming their fear with drugs. Between highs, they are robbing people and raping young girls.

The anti-WOD crowd must be bursting with pride.

[Lancey Howard]

Check THIS out!

Semper fidelis,
LH

[Diddle E. Squat]

FYI

[MHGinTN]

Finely crafted piece of prose? You're a joke!

Uh, I'd trust this Soldier's account more quickly than your credentials at FR. I know of two young men in Iraq with the Army who are college graduates. [HINT: that's your cue to claim you support the troops but not this war because it's the ploy of the current administration, if you're a liberal.]

[txrangerette]

Sistani was concerned over our
presence in the Shia "Holy Cities"
of Karbala & Najaf.

Fallujah is in the Sunni area,
with many pro-Saddam people.

You are mixing apples & oranges
in connecting Sistani & Fallujah.

Some leading national Iraqis, plus
some Fallujah town officials, told
Marine commanders they wanted a
chance to try a different method
to "pacify" it, & avoid our taking
it down by brute force of American
power.

[Poodlebrain]

Based on the author's claimed familiarity with the battalion commander I got the impression he is an officer. Since all Marine officers are college graduates it doesn't surprise me that this one wrote a coherent letter.