Posted on 11/05/2004 8:51:12 AM PST by Jeff Blogworthy
American troops in Fallujah have made loudspeaker announcements and handed out leaflets urging civilians to leave the city ahead of an expected assault.
US soldier A US soldier trains at a camp outside Fallujah
The move comes as troops prepare for a major assault on rebel strongholds in Fallujah and nearby Ramadi.
The soldiers warned they would arrest any man under the age of 45 found trying to leave or enter the city.
Roads around Fallujah have been blocked and the city has been battered by US air strikes in preparation for the offensive.
Hospital officials said air strikes overnight had killed three people and wounded four others, while troops continue to shell insurgents, who have responded with rocket-propelled grenade fire.
Most of the 300,000 population of Fallujah have already fled and US marines say they are awaiting orders from President George W Bush and Ayad Allawi, the Iraqi interim prime minister, before beginning the attack.
Mr Allawi is in Europe to meet EU leaders today and is expected to return with an agreed reconstruction package.
The EU is offering Iraq an £11.5 million aid package to support the country's January elections and the criminal justice system.
Earlier, Mr Allawi met Tony Blair and both men emphasised that the elections must go ahead.
Mr Blair said: "These people that are trying to create circumstances of chaos and instability in Iraq are doing so because of their fear of the democratic process."
Thanks for the information. I will definitely check it out!
Well, I guess we'll see if this Fallujah effort is *decisive*. I don't think it will be, not even close.
As you know, the Marines have an additional complication.
Friendly Iraqii forces have turned tail and abandoned ship in the midst of previous battles. My estimation says they'll do the same thing here.
I'm willing to be corrected after an obvious CLEAR WIN for US Marines.
My guess is that it's a lot easier for the Iraqi government to fully commit to the full out battle now that they know their powerful ally will not yank the rug out from under them--at least for another four years.
Overwhelming force that brings our casualties to zero and complete annihilation that destroys the enemy and sends a message is paramount. We waited too long for your cant we all partner and help the iraqies help themselves song. Flatten that sesspool. THEN.....put them in charge of the next sesspool.
If my boy was over there and he died while we waited to hold hands I would lose it.
Or, put another way, "All you terrorists pack up and leave town, escape capture, and set up shop in the next town once again."
"I'm willing to be corrected after an obvious CLEAR WIN for US Marines. "
Well let us all pray that it is a clear win for the Iraqis and the Marines and Special Forces Army forces that will be removing all traces of anti-Iraqi elements in this city and in the city of Al Ramadi in the next few weeks.
As for the newly trained Iraqi forces. All I can go by is articles I read at sites such as the official Marine Corps. site. All indications are that the current Iraqi Army has fought side by side with good results with our Marines in recent squirmishes in Al Ramadi, Fallujah perimeters etc..
Let us hope they will continue to grow in experience and committement to retaking their country from those that hate the thought of democracy and peace between peoples of different religious and ethenic origins.
"My guess is that it's a lot easier for the Iraqi government to fully commit to the full out battle now that they know their powerful ally will not yank the rug out from under them--at least for another four years."
I believe you hit it right on the nail. Now that the Lurch is history, Allawi can convince his president and others in the new IG, that there is no longer any excuse to let the slaughter of innocent people to continue.
Imagine what a situation they would be in if Lurch was going to be in" Good Lord! And how our Army and Marines would feel?
And what a message to all terroist around the world now that our pres has been re-elected! The frigen game is over for those that think they are going to get away with political charades! They have been put on notice.
All men under 45 are being arrested as they leave town. It is assumed that men over 45 would not be effective since they would have heart attacks if they had to fight.
As the clocks hands slowly click forward, let us pray for our sons & daughters.
We have had the time to plan this operation, but we will be faced with those who won't make it home. The sands of time will not be allowed to erase their sacrafice for freedom.
Exactly right. The last six months have not been a waste of time. We've been bombing insurgents, building an Iraqi security force and Allawi has had time to gain a political footing.
At the same time, we've been driving a wedge been the terrorist foreign fighters and the causeless local lunkheads.
The removal of terrorists from Fallujah will be no different than how we've done it in many other locations around the world in the WOT.
And Fallujah for the most part will not be flattened.
US tells civilians to flee Fallujah.
That sounds like advice not best ignored!
You can try to reduce collateral damage by allowing the very young, the old and inferm and females to leave, but to let young(er) men leave would be to allow people who'll almost certainly attack you elsewhere in Iraq another day.
I think we should encourage Michael Moore to help out in the war effort.We could strap him onto a pallet and parachute it out the back of a C-130 into the middle of Fallujah
Of course we would not leave him to the local Sunni's & al-Qaeda of Iraq just so they could produce a video with/of him;
We could have a AC-130 airship fly air cover.
When the Marines got to him they could "rescue" him.
Much of the discourse here is just that...and being who we are, the good thoughts often take on a life of their own and become reality.
Each of us who is a regular at church could suggest a local prayer vigil. There are also those on FR who have set up online prayer vigils for special purposes...Spooky, are you on one of those ping lists?
"There has to be a good reason for the 45 age limit..."
I remember hearing that airport screeners were told to place more emphasis on middle eastern men between the age of 19 and 45.
They must get kicked out of the terrorists union after age 45.
Le Boom?
American troops in Boston Massachusetts have made loudspeaker announcements and handed out leaflets urging republicans and independents to leave the city ahead of an expected assault.
You: "Well, Blair gets it. Why can't the rest of Old Europe?"
France really does "Get it".
It just simply is not in the French strategic interest for the Middle East to be under American domination. And they court support (and get it) in the Arab world by opposing us and supporting the Palestinians.
Arafat did not end up in Paris, with President Chirac at his bedside, by accident. It is conceivable, at the edge of possibility, that to get the best medicine in the world Arafat could have ended up in Johns Hopkins here in the State. But it is inconceivable that George Bush would have been gravely performing a death vigil at his bedside.
Think of that closely, and realize that the French really have a completely different agenda. They are not opposing us just to oppose us. Their interests in the region really are at cross purposes to ours.
Since France is an important ally, the trick is to tease out the differences so that we can still cooperate, in the main.
Just what do you mean by:
"Much of the discourse here is just that...and being who we are, the good thoughts often take on a life of their own and become reality." ?
Your eptiome is so etheral in nature I guess I should not have even responded. Would you care to express your position on what is being discussed?
I would just say this, if you are challenging what I and some others have said so far as not being accurate, please do make me aware of where I am in error.
Perhaps the Marine Corps., Army, DOD, and the Administration are all totally ignorant as to what must be accomplished in the city of Fallujah.
If they are armed or will not leave. In WW II we killed many many females and kids. We fought to win.
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