Marines Encircle Fallouja (Operation Valiant Resolve commencing)

LA Times ^ | 4-4-04 | Tony Perry and Edmund Sanders

[BurbankKarl]

FALLOUJA, Iraq — Thousands of Marines surrounded this anti-American stronghold early today in preparation for a complex raid to retake control of the city and apprehend those responsible for last week's slayings of four U.S. security contractors.

The highly anticipated action, dubbed Operation Valiant Resolve, was expected to be one of the biggest military offensives since the fall of Saddam Hussein's government a year ago.

All roads leading to this city of 300,000 were cut off and barricaded with tanks and concertina wire. Working through the cold and windy desert night, under a large moon, Marines set up camps for detainees and residents who might flee any fighting. Before dawn, several Marine positions were hit by mortar rounds and rocket-propelled grenade fire. Bursts of automatic gunfire could be heard throughout the city.

[ThermoNuclearWarrior]

"This should have been done last year."

That's what I was thinking. We have known that Fallujah is a terrorist haven that we have no control over. So why did it take until now before we decided to take control over this city?

[dennisw]

That's what I was thinking. We have known that Fallujah is a terrorist haven that we have no control over. So why did it take until now before we decided to take control over this city?

We want to keep the US casualties down. Election year and all that kinda stuff.

[HAL9000]

AFP via Babelfish translation -

The Navy American announces an operation of scale in Falloujah

ATTENTION - Contains elements of a pool of press///

The Navy American announced Monday the launching of an operation of scale in the rebellious city of Falloujah, to 50 km in the west of Baghdad, after the murder Wednesday of four civil American.

"Our goal is clear, we want to capture the men that we seek. We do not want to go there and to draw in all the directions ", affirmed lieutenant James Vanzant.

The sunnite city was encircled and the soldiers allowed only the cars carrying number plates of Falloujah to reach it.

The officer of the Navy added that the operation would last several days.

(Translation note: "Navy American" = U.S. Marines)

[Cap Huff]

I know that they have captured a lot of al-Douri's family and very close associates, but the last one that I can remember has been a couple of months ago I think.

I'm pretty sure it was about the time we took one of his wives into custody, as well as his physician that the story was out there that he had Leukemia (maybe that was "Barbra Steisand" from his physician). Since then several other relative and associates have been taken, but no Izzat, and I can't remember the last time I've seen anything much about him.

Somehow I have a feeling that he is basically irrelevant by now, what with the likes of Zarqawi, Sadr, and probably others raising trouble.

[stocksthatgoup]

Travis - takes a photon torpedo to the midship

[Steel Wolf]

Seems the doom and gloomers are realizing that war results in dead people, unhappy media and broken buildings....

So does peace, amigo. History is pretty clear in that you can't avoid 'dead people, unhappy media and broken buildings' by minding your own business. What you can do is fight small battles now to avoid larger ones in the future. Or, you can go hide and hope that fate forgets about you.

[fawn796]

I just found out on Saturday that my nephew is one of the Marines camped out on a hillside outside Fallujah. He wrote to his dad (my brother) that they were receiving lessons on how to be nice to the Iraqi people. Okie Dokie!

Take care of business Dan - and come home safe!

[Screaming_Gerbil]

"Must be gerbil stuffing day.."

What???

[Amelia]

I think those 5 were from Ft. Riley KS.

[Amelia]

We have known that Fallujah is a terrorist haven that we have no control over. So why did it take until now before we decided to take control over this city?

The Marines are in charge there now.

[MeekOneGOP]

May God watch over our troops on this important operation!

Amen !!

Now .... go get 'em, men !!

[F14 Pilot]

BUMP!!!

[MeekOneGOP]

[Amelia]

FYI

[7.62 x 51mm]

Double Amen to that!

[texasflower]

Amen.

[Reader of news]

We should extend the operation to all the Sunni Triangle.

[Jim Noble]

we need more boots on the ground in Iraq..always did...I'm afraid that it will turn into a mess with Iran sending men to fight in the south and Saddams thugs still up north..we only have 107,000 on the ground now..But that will be hard to do in an election year

Two points:

1) There are only 375 000 males in the entire United States Army. We not only need to send more of them to Iraq-we need ten times that many to fight this war.

2) The election year-no policy that does not command electoral support can succeed in this nation-that's the system. That's not a bad thing.