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Marines in Fallujah say they are mostly satisfied with vehicle, body armor:

By Katarina Kratovac, Associated Press, 12/8/2004 14:47:

NEAR FALLUJAH, Iraq (AP) Marines patrolling the former insurgent stronghold of Fallujah some in open Humvees say they've had some close calls, but ''get by well'' with the vehicle and body armor they have. ''I think the armor we have for the vehicles is getting better and our body armor is OK, I have nothing against it,'' Sgt. Aaron D'Amico said Wednesday. Told about complaints from disgruntled soldiers who told Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld earlier Wednesday they lacked armored vehicles and other equipment, D'Amico said: ''I'd definitely opt for higher production of armor but the Marines get by well with what we have.'' D'Amico, 24, of Cleveland, Ohio, said his unit, the 1st Battalion of the 8th Marine Regiment, received new, upgraded vehicle armor a year ago, with Kevlar-protected seats. D'Amico's only complaint is that the open-roof Humvee provides no protection at the back. The armor the Marines receive is ''usually leftovers from the Army, the Army usually gets the better stuff,'' he added. In November, U.S. deaths in Iraq reached 135, equaling the all-time high previously reached in April. Hundreds more were wounded. At least 54 deaths occurred during the Marine-led assault on Fallujah. D'Amico said his closest call occurred four months ago in the town of Haditha in central Iraq, when a roadside bomb blew up by the side of his vehicle. The blast and flying shrapnel nicked the side armor of the Humvee door but injured no one inside. D'Amico said it was not just the vehicle armor that saved them, but also the bomb-makers' lack of skill in planting the device too deep to cause serious damage. Cpl. Adam Golden, 21, of New York, agreed the armor they have is serving them well, but said he would prefer ''castled-in armor,'' especially armor over the Humvee's open canopy. ''Our body armor stops appropriate rounds and it works great to save lives,'' added Golden. ''There are always places you could get hit, such as on the sides of your chest or in the armpits. I know a lot of guys who got hit there.'' He believes such body armor is now being designed but has not yet reached the troops. Cpl. Joshua Munns said it isn't easy to make the best armor. ''It has to be tested against the heaviest weapons infantry would encounter,'' said Munns, 21, of Redding, Calif. ''The vehicle floor Kevlar, for example is not meant to stop an explosion but prevents the vehicle floor from breaking apart on the inside,'' Munns added. Asked whether he would prefer a closed Humvee with bulletproof windows, Munns said ''it's a yes-and-no answer.'' ''An enclosed vehicle reduces your visibility and if you are not able to see an attack you might as well have no armor at all,'' he said. ''It needs to be a fine balance between visibility and protection.'' Munns said he prefers mobility over the weight of extra body armor. The three Marines agree that the most exposed person is their gunner in the turret. ''He has to think about the bigger stuff, he is up there, more exposed than any of us,'' Munns noted. On the other side of the base, Capt. Joe Winslow, 36, of Dallas, said it is not so much the armor but the tactics of the Marines that has been a lifesaver. ''It's the aggressive convoy procedures, paying attention to the basics, vigilance by the gunner and the driver,'' said Winslow. Winslow said he had just seen footage of the soldiers' exchange with Rumsfeld on television and was ''surprised'' because the armor we have is ''top notch.'' ''I don't know why they said what they said. I can't speak for another person,'' he said. ''Every time I go outside the base, I am aware that what keeps me safe is not only in the equipment I have but in the mentality of being a Marine,'' said Gunnery Sgt. Mike Ritchie.
http://www.boston.com/dailynews/343/world/Marines_in_Fallujah_say_they_a:.shtml>

Jordan's king says troops tracking al-Zarqawi 'getting close'

Wednesday, December 8, 2004 Posted: 0317 GMT (1117 HKT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Jordanian King Abdullah II said forces in Iraq are "getting close" to capturing terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

"He's slipped through the net once or twice where we got closer to him than he would have liked," Abdullah told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday. "The Iraqis, Jordanians and coalition forces are working very hard to track him down -- and we're getting close."

The king said he based his assessment on "hard intelligence."

Al-Zarqawi is the Jordanian-born militant wanted for fueling the insurgency in Iraq and in connection with the beheadings of several Western hostages.

The king said the search is ongoing and al-Zarqawi is a difficult man to track "in very difficult circumstances."

Abdullah described al-Zarqawi as constantly on the move.

He also said al-Zarqawi is thought to be inside Iraq after fleeing Falluja ahead of the latest U.S.-led assault on the city.

"He's under pressure," Abdullah said.

The United States has offered a $25 million reward for the capture or killing of al-Zarqawi.

He is accused of leading a terrorist network inside Iraq that has carried out numerous attacks against Iraqi civilians and U.S. military personnel and has kidnapped and beheaded numerous hostages.

His group changed its name from Unification and Jihad to the Base of Jihad after al-Zarqawi recently pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden, leader of al Qaeda, which is Arabic for "the base."

Abdullah said there is a link between al-Zarqawi and al Qaeda, but described it as a "loose association."

Abdullah has been in Washington this week, and met with President Bush on Monday.

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/12/07/jordan.zarqawi/