FALLUJAH, Iraq — This is an angry town that sees itself as the center of a nationwide revolt against the U.S.-led occupation.
People chafe at the sight of U.S. soldiers, seethe at checkpoints around town and submit to weapons searches with a fury that is more likely to explode than subside.
"The resistance will be continuous and it will increase not only in Fallujah but all across Iraq. The resistance is organized and it will grow, but Fallujah is the center," said Tariq Kamil, who sells cooking oil from a tiny shop at the local market.
Fallujah, some 30 miles west of Baghdad, is a predominantly Sunni Muslim community that benefited greatly from industrial projects under Saddam Hussein.