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US forces to pull out of Falluja
US marines are to withdraw from positions they have held in the flashpoint Iraqi city of Falluja, an American military commander has said. Lt Col Brennan Byrne said this would allow a newly created all-Iraqi force to take control of the city on Friday. The marines have been fighting insurgents based in Falluja for the past three weeks. Elsewhere in Iraq, 10 US soldiers have been killed in attacks - eight in a car bombing south of the capital Baghdad. Falluja, a predominantly Sunni Muslim city, 50km (30 miles) west of Baghdad, has been a hotbed of resistance to the US-led occupation of Iraq. Col Byrne said the new Iraqi force that will move into the city had been set up under a new agreement reached with local leaders. Known as the Falluja Protective Army, it will be made up of up to 1,100 Iraqi soldiers led by a former general from the Saddam Hussein era. It will operate under the overall control of US forces. US forces moved against insurgents in the town following the gruesome killings of four American civilian contractors there. Recent days have seen an aerial bombardment of insurgent targets in the town. Helicopters and AC-130 have gunships bombed and strafed targets in several districts of the city. But US commanders were holding back from an all-out assault on the city of 300,000 people, in the hope of reaching agreement. They had insisted that the insurgents - who they said included former members of Saddam Husseinâs Republican Guard military units and foreign Islamic militants - turn in their heavy weapons. United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has warned that an American military assault on Falluja could lead to civilian casualties and fuel the resistance to the occupation. Doctors in Falluja say some 600 people have been killed since the siege began three weeks ago. Thousands have fled the city, but many are now attempting to return, despite the fighting. An unconfirmed report says US marines manning a checkpoint opened fire on a minibus on Thursday morning, killing four civilians. Known as the Falluja Protective Army, it will be made up of up to 1,100 Iraqi soldiers led by a former general from the Saddam Hussein era... Three guesses as to what happens next... [sigh] Posted by: Howard UK 2004-04-29 |
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