Posted on 07/06/2004 4:20:35 AM PDT by anonymoussierra
Iraq's new prime minister says his government co-operated in a US air strike on the volatile city of Falluja, which killed at least 10 people. In an unprecedented statement, Iyad Allawi said his interim government had provided intelligence for the attack.
A US military spokesman said the target was a house suspected of being used by supporters of an al-Qaeda leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
It was the latest in a spate of US air strikes on Falluja.
Mr Allawi's statement demonstrates that he is keen to associate his administration publicly with attacks by American forces on foreign militants, correspondents say.
"The sovereign Iraqi people and our international partners are adamant that we will put an end to terrorism and chase those corrupt terrorists and will uproot them one by one," he said in the statement.
But Mr Allawi is under pressure to strike a balance if he is to avoid alienating the people he is supposed to represent.
In Falluja, angry residents gathered at the 30-foot (nine metre) deep hole gouged out of the ground by the bombs.
Some demanded to know whether such attacks were acceptable to their new government.
Stronghold
The US military says it dropped four 500-pound (225kg) bombs and two 1,000-pound (450kg) bombs in the raid, which took place at about 1915 local time (1515 GMT) on Monday.
"After consultations between Iraqi government officials and multinational forces-Iraq, Iraqi security forces provided clear and compelling intelligence to conduct a precision strike this evening on a known Zarqawi safe house in south-eastern Falluja," Mr Allawi said in his statement
Mr Zarqawi has been frequently blamed by US forces for organising anti-US resistance in Falluja.
The town, about 50km (30 miles) west of Baghdad, suffered some of Iraq's worst violence in April when US marines and insurgents clashed in the streets. Hundreds of Iraqis were killed.
An all-Iraqi force has been in charge of the mostly Sunni Muslim city since May, following a month-long siege by US troops.
The US says the city has become a stronghold for followers of Mr Zarqawi.
Last week it increased to $25m its reward offer for the capture of the Jordanian militant it accuses of masterminding a string of massive suicide bombings in Iraq.
Mr Zarqawi is also said to have been involved in the beheading of two hostages, American Nick Berg and South Korean Kim Sun.
Checkpoint shooting
In Baghdad, US soldiers in Iraq shot and killed an Iraqi child and wounded another while firing on a car that failed to stop at a checkpoint.
The US military said the driver of the vehicle, the children's father, ignored signals to stop, switched the car lights off and tried to bypass the checkpoint, forcing guards to jump out of the way.
He is been questioned by Iraqi police following the incident which happened late on Monday.
The US military also said three of its marines died on Monday during operations in the Anbar region, where Falluja is located.
Two died in action, while a third died of his wounds later, the military said.
Cos dla ciebie.
Four 500-lb and two 1000-lb bombs?
I'm all in favor of overkill, but that must have been one heck of a house to need all that.
"Cos dla ciebie."
Translation, my FRiend?
They had to add this, though it has no more to do with the story than if they had said..."...and in other Iraqi news, the Americans completed the new grade school in Mosul today."
They just have to inject negativity into every story. I have no problem with them reporting the bad news, it should just be a story by itself. They do not need to inject it into every story they write. It's as though they cannot report good news without reminding everyone that some bad things are happening too.
As for this:
Some demanded to know whether such attacks were acceptable to their new government.
... it appears that the answer is "yes", and with a great deal of enthusiasm.
So now instead of surprise IED attacks on humvees, we have surprise disintegration of whole houses with very bad guys in them......The irony is a little delicious.
Be careful where you sleep Mr. Zarqawi, your name is written on the next bomb.
im sorry cos dla Ciebie is something for you.
America are geting closer and that is good.
I know what you say, I need to look good to find good article of Irak.
maybe deep tunel or something like that. I think when war started America use bomb to destroy sadam in first attack.
Some demanded to know whether such attacks were acceptable to their new government.
The government should answer "Yes, we approve. Surely you approve as well, after all you couldn't possibly support people who blow up innocent civilians. No moral person could."
That should be a standard answer. Make these people who object to the strikes explain why they are defending people who are killing their fellow Iraqis. Show their faces on TV, let their fellow countrymen see who is supporting the killers.
"Four 500-lb and two 1000-lb bombs?
I'm all in favor of overkill, but that must have been one heck of a house to need all that."
That's no "Safe-House" --- That's a (was a) Brick S--- House!
totaly agree with your words about this. Now that Irak people have said they will kill Zarqawi should help America forces fighting these people.
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