Free Republic

FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Iraqi troops led by one of Saddam Hussein’s former generals began replacing Marines here Friday as a plan to end a monthlong siege of this battle-torn city gained momentum. Former Iraqi Gen. Jassim Mohammed Saleh, dressed in the uniform of Saddam’s Republican guard, entered Fallujah to cheering crowds, triggering a debate in the United States on whether securing the defiant city with an Iraqi force was a masterstroke or a concession that could undermine U.S. control of the country. “I am very happy to be here, you are truly a friend,” Saleh, hand-picked to head the new...

WASHINGTON - U.S. military commanders won't wait forever for local political efforts to quell the insurgency in Fallujah, U.S. officials said Friday as they laid out in greater detail the Bush administration's evolving strategy to deal with one of the trickiest standoffs of the war. Their words foreshadow the possibility of a "strong fight" to gain control of the city, if joint Iraqi-American efforts fail to halt the violence. Military leaders acknowledge the situation remains delicate as local leaders in Fallujah try different ways to resolve the insurgency. The situation has commanded the daily — sometimes hourly — attention of...