Posted on 11/10/2004 12:04:48 AM PST by kattracks
WASHINGTON — U.S forces yesterday blitzed the center of the rebel stronghold of Fallujah, overwhelming bands of Iraqi terrorists in intense urban street battles — the biggest ground assault since the Iraq invasion began last year.Pentagon officials said U.S. Marines and Army troops, storming from the north in tanks and armored personnel carriers, crossed Highway 10, the strategic east-west road that bisects the turbulent city.
[snip]
The battle resumed this morning after a relatively calm night — as Marines let loose an artillery barrage at rebel targets and exchanged fire with insurgents in the northwestern district of Fallujah.
[snip]
U.S. and Iraqi troops were also seen conducting house-to-house searches and taunting insurgents over loudspeakers about their manhood — a tactic that successfully drew out pro-Saddam militias from their hideouts during last year's invasion.
"Brave terrorists, I am waiting here for the brave terrorists. Come and kill us," one military psychological operations officer said in Arabic over a loudspeaker.
Pentagon officials told The Post last night that months before this week's assault on Fallujah, U.S. military and intelligence agencies conducted a massive intelligence-gathering operation over the terrorist-held city.
The military flew dozens of unmanned Global Hawk and Predator drone aircraft over Fallujah, getting instant video images. Sophisticated electronic eavesdropping equipment was used to intercept terrorist communications.
Military commanders were then able to draw up a street-to-street grid of the rebel defense systems and locate their safe houses, intelligence officials said.
That allowed the military to call in precision airstrikes that killed hundreds of insurgents days and weeks before U.S. ground troops moved in.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Well, practically speaking, because the bad guys probably still needed to use the buildings. Boobytrapping a building is a double edged sword; it can accidentially kill the bomb maker or his buddies before the targets get to the the site. Plus, with the rapid rate of advance of the U.S. forces, it might be tough to set those bombs while running from an Abram's tank, Styker, or the other raghead shreaders operating out there.
On the other hand, there were a fair number of mines in the approaches, which our engineers defeated in the first 30 minutes of the assault. Plus, our guys aren't going house to house, only at strategic intersections, bridges, and so forth, where they need to secure an area. Otherwise, if there's a bunch of bad guys in a building shooting at our guys, they lay down precision artillery or airstrikes and level the buildling.
The Jahidi's (also known as "Muslim faithful") may have some sewers and tunnels we haven't yet blown up, but mostly they're either dying in place, or dying on the run. I haven't heard of many prisoners being taken, but I suppose there are a few of those also.
SFS
Happy Birthday USMC!
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