Posted on 11/08/2004 8:39:55 AM PST by epluribus_2
NEAR FALLUJAH, Iraq - More than 4,000 U.S. Marines and Army troops punched their way into northeastern Fallujah on Monday, kicking off a massive assault dubbed Operation Phantom Fury that seeks to put an end to half a year of insurgent control of the Sunni Muslim city.
The prelude to the assault on the Askari neighborhood was a crushing air and artillery bombardment of the city that rose to a crescendo by Monday evening, with U.S. strike jets dropping bombs around the clock and big guns pounding the city every few minutes with high-explosive shells.
Meanwhile, insurgents in Baghdad and nearby Ramadi tried to keep up the pressure on the coalition forces with new attacks, including one on a Catholic church in the capital.
Earlier Monday U.S. troops had fought their way into the city's western outskirts, seizing two bridges over the Euphrates River and helping Iraqi soldiers take the city's main hospital in the first stage of a major assault on the insurgent stronghold.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
He's a Generals' General!
Holy God Almighty! If UBL is killed in Falluja the left will spontaneously combust and Chirac will go into cardiac arrest.
I just listened to a former officer embed,Col. Rudder..Do you think he's going to help the enemy?
Sound familiar?
CAIRO, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Egypt's influential Muslim Brotherhood said on Monday Iraqi soldiers fighting rebels in Falluja should not cooperate with U.S. forces and called on guerrillas in the town to stand firm.
The Brotherhood, one of the Arab world's most prominent Islamist groups, sent the statement to Reuters as U.S. Marines launched a full-scale offensive on Falluja.
"We call ... on the Iraqi forces cooperating in the destruction to have no involvement in shedding the blood of their brothers in Falluja," the group, which is banned but tolerated in Egypt, said in a statement.
F-16 fighters along with tanks and artillery pounded rebel positions in Falluja, 50 km (32 miles) west of Baghdad, on Monday before marines launched their offensive later in the day.
"We call on the fearless Iraqi resistance defending their land ... and the honour of the (Islamic) nation, to increase their solidarity, steadfastness and cooperation to face the American occupation forces," the statement said.
One of the first modern Islamic political movements, the Brotherhood renounced violence decades ago but more radical groups have splintered from the organisation.
With all due respect, there is no 'data' here. We sometimes go a bit overboard with our importance in these matters. There are no terrorists or terrorist-enablers checking Free Republic for battle plans or the like, okay? One need not look here for information when the tanks are beyond the gates. Beyond that, you might consider that any communication otherwise possible inside the objective was cut off days ago. So, lets just calm ourselves?
Yep,they can read this thread but what do we know that is not on live TV?
We are nothing but arm chair generals and they have them too.
Wonder if they know Scott Peterson or Geico Insurance?
Here is a tip for them.Lay down your arms and surrender or die.There won't be any virgins left when you ascend.
Your leader Zargawi has fled and Saddam is in jail.
Got to love the engineer units! :)
Thanks for the vid caps!
Rumsfield coming up in an hour.
Operation Phantom Fury Live Thread ping
FNC: "Militants" bombed an orthodox church in Baghdad - 30+ killed....
_________________________________________________________
Maybe the right people over there will eventually get P.O.'ed and do something about the cockroaches in their midsts. Maybe.
..And Save a load on insurance...while finding out what Scotts wardrobe is today.
Iraqi, U.S. Troops Begin 'Phantom Fury' in Fallujah
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press ServiceWASHINGTON, Nov. 8, 2004 -- Iraqi and U.S. forces began their long-awaited assault today against insurgents in Fallujah, Iraq, in an operation dubbed "Phantom Fury."
According to various news reports, thousands of soldiers and Marines have moved into Fallujah neighborhoods believed to be harboring the most insurgents. Earlier, Iraqi troops took two bridges and a hospital in northern Fallujah, Multinational Force Iraq officials said today. Officials described the situation around the insurgent stronghold as "fluid."
Interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi gave the go-ahead for Iraqi and U.S. forces to rid the city of insurgents and foreign terrorists. In a news conference today in Baghdad, Allawi said his government is determined to drive the terrorists out of Fallujah. He said he makes this move after all peaceful means to solve the problem have not worked out.
"I have given my authority to the Iraqi forces to spearhead the attacks," Allawi said.
On Nov. 7, the prime minister declared a state of emergency in all of Iraq except for the Kurdish-controlled area in the north.
The Iraqi 36th Commando Battalion took the bridges and hospital today and detained 38 men.
Marine artillery and U.S. aircraft have hit terrorist hideouts in the city. Pentagon officials said Marines and soldiers in the area have observed secondary explosions after the strikes. This often signifies that ammunition or explosives were at the site that was struck, officials explained.
Coalition forces are hitting anti-Iraqi forces where they show themselves. News reports indicate U.S. Marines and soldiers are firing mortars and artillery at concentrations of insurgents and foreign terrorists.
The offensive in Fallujah is one of the most telegraphed military operations in history. That is by design, said Pentagon officials. The city normally has a population of about 300,000. With all the warnings, officials estimate that between 50,000 and 60,000 people are left in the city. Even so, Multinational Force Iraq officials report terrorists in the city are preventing families from leaving Fallujah. According to residents, terrorist plan to use citizens as human shields, then claim they were attacked by friendly forces.
News accounts said that officials estimate between 5,000 and 6,000 insurgents and foreign terrorists are in the city.
Multinational Force Iraq officials have received reports that terrorists in Fallujah are building a system of tunnels joining mosques and schools within the city. The tunnels reportedly would be used to transport weapons and ammunition throughout protected sites in the face of the Multinational Force assault.
Under international law, mosques are granted protected status because of their religious and cultural significance. However, such sites lose their protected status when insurgents use them for military purposes.
The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force is in command of coalition and Iraqi forces at the city. The 1st Marine Division and U.S. Army armored units from the 1st Infantry Division -- along with Iraqi allies -- stand ready on the northern part of the city, news accounts said.
Let the butt kicking begin ping!
This is handy
http://www.qlock.com/
bump for later
"There are no terrorists or terrorist-enablers checking Free Republic for battle plans or the like, okay?"
NEVER under estimate the enemy.
Both foreign and domestic.
Beautiful. I suspect the Marines would much prefer that the salamikazes keep coming to them this way, rather than having to roust them out of their fixed defensive positions.
BTTT!!!!!!
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