I accept that we cannot automatically disqualify non-iraqi's fighting the coalition forces as resistance fighters. We should ask, "what are their aims?" and "what are their methods?". It's looking at these two questions that lead me to believe that they don't qualify as "legitimate resistance". Their aims vary from re-establishing the Baathist dictatorship to enforcing Sharia Law or to killing as many infidel as possible (in Iraq and BEYOND) but any sort of "liberation" of the people figures extremely low on their lists (if at all). On the contray, their methods have intentionally taken the lives of thousands of Iraqi's - the same Iraqi's you would argue they were trying to liberate from occupation.
Let's imagine still (being absurdly generous) that some of those in Fallujah are genuinely trying to liberate their fellow Iraqi's and have their best interests at heart. The question I'd ask you here is why would such "noble resistance fighters" tolerate the presence of those that have murdered so many of their people? How can Al Zaqawi and those like him operate amongst them, in their own backyard? I can't answer that question, can you?
Very well explained. Thank you for your imput on this - far better than my own would have been.