Negotiations Continue As Marines Take Fire Around Fallujah

DoD-AFPS ^ | April 12, 2004 | Gerry J. Gilmore

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Negotiations Continue As Marines Take Fire Around Fallujah

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 12, 2004 – Coalition Provisional Authority and Iraqi officials are continuing negotiations with insurgents in Fallujah and southern Iraq, CPA officials said in Baghdad today.

Fighting across Iraq has caused about 70 U.S. and coalition combat deaths since April 1, Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt told reporters at a Baghdad news conference. The general estimated enemy casualties to be "10 times" over coalition forces' losses during that period.

At present, Kimmitt added, "there's no reliable figure" on the number of civilian casualties incurred during the Fallujah fighting. Kimmitt is deputy operations director for Combined Joint Task Force 7.

U.S. Marines deployed around Fallujah are taking a watch-and-wait attitude during the cease-fire, Kimmitt said, while enemy forces in the area continue to snipe at the Marines.

Kimmitt said the coalition's cease-fire should not be construed as an indication that enemy resistance in Fallujah has eroded the Marines' will and ability to fight. "With regards to the question whether the Marines have stopped fighting because they've run out of fight, I can tell you that there is nothing further from the truth," the general emphasized. "The fact is that the Marines are ready, on order, to continue the operations to complete the destruction of enemy forces in Fallujah."

The Marines, he added, are "more than capable, they are more than equipped, they are more than armed" to do the job.

U.S., coalition and Iraqi officials, Kimmitt explained, are "working a political track … to achieve the ultimate end-state, which is to restore legitimate Iraqi control" of Fallujah.

A reporter noted Baathist insurgents in Baghdad are distributing leaflets warning Iraqis not to support U.S. and coalition efforts. That, Kimmitt observed, is "just another tactic on the part of the enemy to try to cow the population into relenting on their deep aspiration to move toward sovereignty and democracy and individual rights."

Insurgent elements in Iraq, Kimmitt emphasized, will "use any tactic they can - - whether it's combat, whether it's intimidation, whether it's terrorism -- to try to derail the process."

He said coalition and Iraqi security forces "remain resolved to attacking these elements, defeating these elements, killing these elements, and moving forward."

Insurgents in Iraq "are trying to use mob violence to determine who will have power in Iraq … rather than relying on elections," said CPA senior spokesman Dan Senor, who accompanied Kimmitt at the briefing.

Insurgents who killed and debased four U.S. contractors in Fallujah, plus other disruptive elements such as outlaw Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militia, represent a societal "poison" left over from decades of dictatorial rule in Iraq, Senor pointed out.

It is "critical," Senor said, to confront insurgent elements in Iraq "now, rather than after" the slated June 30 handover of sovereignty to an Iraqi government. Otherwise, "the task will only become more difficult down the road," he concluded.

Related Sites:
Coalition Provisional Authority
Combined Joint Task Force 7

Related Articles:
Bremer Blames Violence on 'Poison' in Iraqi Society
Fallujah 'Under Control' as Gunfire Punctuates Cease-Fire
Delaying Sovereignty Transfer is Enemies' Wish, Bush Says
Coalition Overpowering Pockets of Resistance in Iraq
Marines Prepared, Trained for Iraq Mission, Says Commander

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Fighting across Iraq has caused about 70 U.S. and coalition combat deaths since April 1, Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt told reporters at a Baghdad news conference. The general estimated enemy casualties to be "10 times" over coalition forces' losses during that period.

Kimmitt said the coalition's cease-fire should not be construed as an indication that enemy resistance in Fallujah has eroded the Marines' will and ability to fight. "With regards to the question whether the Marines have stopped fighting because they've run out of fight, I can tell you that there is nothing further from the truth," the general emphasized. "The fact is that the Marines are ready, on order, to continue the operations to complete the destruction of enemy forces in Fallujah."

The Marines, he added, are "more than capable, they are more than equipped, they are more than armed" to do the job.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~

 

"I hope all recognize the attitude, confidence, courage and love of the modern day warrior. Get the word out, those magnificent soldiers are to be held in high regard and to be spoken of with the highest respect, they are nothing short of Magnificent, they are with out a doubt the finest fighting organization this world has and will ever see.

The United States Marine Corps."

 

~ e-mail from a friend in Iraq to feinswinesuksass, posted 4/12/04

[bogdanPolska12]

Thank you for a ping
Humble
Bogdan

[blackie]

Death to all terrorists ~ Now!

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[ZULU]

DELENDA EST FALLUJAH

It doesn't matter how many more insurgents are killed. As long as Fallujah can continue to exist, flaunting U.S. power and Iraqi central control, the insurgents are achieving their objective. Our marines are more than capable of handling this, but the casualties from a surgical operation would be high among our own people.
Allowing this nest of vipers to continue without immediate
retaliation is providing an incentive to anti-western forces everywhere.

I think we should bomb the city out, along the same lines employed against NAZIs in WW2. Its the only consequences they comprehend. It will lower OUR casualties which is really all I really care about.

[NormsRevenge]

One of these days...

[Blzbba]

I agree. Why the hell are we "negotiating" with terrorists anyways?

[NormsRevenge]

:-)

EASTER IN FALLUJAH: After taking a sip, Lance Cpl. Ryan McCalley, 21, of Tucson hands back a canteen cup of wine to Navy Lt. Scott Radepski, 42, of Sheboygan, Wis., as Radepski holds an Easter Communion service for Marines. HAYNE PALMOUR IV, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

[JeeperFreeper]

Good post. Thanks for updates. The surrogates of Bremer et al. evidently are trying to talk the terrorists to death. In the meantime, American casualties mount, the insurgents rest and organize. As near as I can tell, the Bremer strategy is to avoid, at all costs, hurting the feelings of islamic terrorists. The State Department types abhor a pouty, teary eyed jihadist. Something like that might interfere with Bremer's cocktail and lecture tour later, not to mention a book contract and appointment at a "think" tank. An assault will be costly, but will put an end to Fallujah as hotbed and resource for terrorism. Merely dancing about the edge, taking casualties cures nothing, but gives encouragement to the enemy.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

It will lower OUR casualties which is really all I really care about.

I'm with you on that!!!!

[JebRudy2008]

hear hear!

70 dead marines is 70 too many
the women and children (pre-terrorists) have fled.

flatten Falujah

[HankReardon]

Tom Daschle is deeply saddened.

[Happy2BMe]

"The Marines, he added, are "more than capable, they are more than equipped, they are more than armed" to do the job."

That Fat Lady is about to sing again . .

[bogdanPolska12]

Yep and it is going to be big.

[blackie]

The sooner the better............

Hang 'em High!

[blackie]

Let's hope Little Tommy's sadness deepens in Novemeber. :)

[TexasRepublic]

You cannot negotiage with terrorists. WWPD? (what would Patton do?)

[MeekOneGOP]

Kimmitt said the coalition's cease-fire should not be construed as an indication that enemy resistance in Fallujah has eroded the Marines' will and ability to fight. "With regards to the question whether the Marines have stopped fighting because they've run out of fight, I can tell you that there is nothing further from the truth," the general emphasized. "The fact is that the Marines are ready, on order, to continue the operations to complete the destruction of enemy forces in Fallujah."

Kill al-Sadr !

[pickemuphere]

Big "Hearts and Minds" Bump

[Tailgunner Joe]

A U.S. soldier from the 1st Cavalry Division carries
an Iraqi boy off the Baghdad-Fallujah highway.
-- Nicolas Asfouri / AFP / Getty Images