Fearsome power of marines in Falluja
The American-led assault on the city is in its fifth day As the battle for Falluja goes on, the American military estimates 600 people, whom they describe as insurgents, have been killed as well as 18 US soldiers. BBC correspondent Paul Wood, embedded with US marines in Falluja, has been witnessing the action and gave this account to the BBC's Today programme.
Well it is no surprise that 600 have been killed - if indeed that figure is accurate.
The marines now are pushing out south of the main road.
The insurgents are believed to be confined to a narrow corridor which runs about 2km south of that road.
And the technique is literally to insert the ordinary marines - the grunts as they call themselves - wait until they draw fire and then hit back with everything they have got.
So you see a fleeting glimpse of one of the militants in the back of a room or jumping across a rooftop and then literally in the two hours I was out last night, thousands of rounds of ammunition are expended, tanks fire and the place is left in ruins. < snipped >
From the same report you just posted:
"And when they see what they believe to be militants - and these marines are incredibly calm under fire, they are almost unflinching - they do wait until they see a guy with a gun but when they see that, they open up with everything they have got and the question is, how much collateral damage is there going to be?"The moaning in this piece about civilian casualties is notable.