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Kimmit Seeks Fallujah Ceasefire
EFL
A U.S. general on Saturday called on Sunni militants in the besieged city of Fallujah to join in a bilateral cease-fire. "Today what we are seeking is a bilateral cease-fire," Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt told reporters in Baghdad. "This is an aspiration." He added that he was "hoping to get this message to the enemy through this press conference so they can join the cease-fire." Kimmittâs call came after the council passed a unanimous decision calling for a cease-fire. Anger has been growing on the council over the U.S. assault on Fallujah, where more than 280 Iraqis and at least five Marines have been killed in heavy fighting.
| I think there's some anger growing here, too, that we haven't flattened the city yet. |
Military hesitation over the halt in fighting was clear. After initially being ordered to cease all offensive operations, Marines quickly demanded and received permission to launch assaults to prevent attacks if needed. "We said to them (the commanders): âWe are going to lose people if we donât go back on offensive ops.â So we got the word," Marine Maj. Pete Farnun told The Associated Press. The Governing Council early Saturday issued a statement demanding an end to military action and "collective punishment" â a reference to the Fallujah siege. Abdul-Karim Mahoud al-Mohammedawi, a Shiite on the Governing Council, announced he was suspending his council seat until "the bleeding stops in all Iraq." He also met Friday with al-Sadr, whom U.S. commanders have vowed to capture.
| Decided to change sides, did he? |
A Sunni council member, Ghazi al-Yawer, said he would quit if the Fallujah talks fell through.
| Quit and be damned, then. |
One of the strongest pro-U.S. voices on the council, also a Sunni, Adnan Pachachi, denounced the U.S. siege. "It was not right to punish all the people of Fallujah, and we consider these operations by the Americans unacceptable and illegal," Pachachi told Al-Arabiya TV.
| It was not right for the people of Fallujah to slaughter and mutilate our people, either. Nor is it right for them to be in rebellion against U.S. forces. |
The heavy fighting for Fallujah was prompted by the March 31 slaying of four U.S. civilians there. Their burned bodies were mutilated and dragged through the streets by a mob that hung two of them from a bridge.
Posted by: Kirk 2004-04-10 |
