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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Fallujah deal imminent? |
| 2004-04-30 |
| AP / EFL U.S. Marines negotiated a plan Thursday to pull back forces from Fallujah, a move that could lift a nearly monthlong siege and allow an Iraqi force led by a former Saddam Hussein-era general to handle security. However, U.S. officials in Washington and Iraq gave somewhat differing accounts on the status of any agreement. A Marine commander in Iraq said a deal was reached but later said "fine points" needed to be fixed. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said there was no deal yet and officials were "still working on it." Let's not be too hasty. A force of some 1,100 members called the Fallujah Protective Army would replace the Marine cordon and move into the city as U.S. troops pull back. [It] would be led by a leading general from Saddam's army and include Iraqis with "military experience" from the Fallujah region, Byrne said. Uh oh. It could even include gunmen who fought with guerrillas against the Americans particularly ex-soldiers disgruntled over losing their jobs when the United States disbanded the old Iraqi army, another Marine officer said. Wanted: foxes to guard henhouse. The new force would not include "hardcore" insurgents or Islamic militants holed up in the city, the officer said. Well, if they're not "hardcore" that's all right then. Byrne identified the commander of the new force as Gen. Salah. He said he did not know the generals full name, but Lt. Gen. Salah Abboud al-Jabouri, a native of the Fallujah region, served as governor of Anbar province under Saddam. Ring any bells? Marines on the south side of the city began packing up gear Thursday in preparation to withdraw and breaking down earthen berms and other security barriers. But Byrne later said the timing for a pullback was unclear. Washington is under intense international pressure to find a peaceful solution to the standoff that has killed hundreds of Iraqis and became a symbol of anti-U.S. resistance in Iraq, fueling violence that made April the deadliest month for American forces. We're under "intense international pressure" to do a whole bunch of things, all of which are grossly contrary to our interests. I understand the desire to Iraqify the battle, but if this handover includes the NW section where we have the jihadis cornered, then it has the makings of disaster. If this "Fallujah Protective Army" isn't 100% reliable and viciously thorough, then the jihadis will have a golden opportunity to declare victory--and I'm sure they'll use it. If Washington doesn't intervene I fear this may turn out to be the weekend we lost the war. |
| Posted by:someone |
| #10 If we flatten Fallujah from the air, the whole country will rise (except for the Kurds). We'd need about 600,000 troops on the ground to control that. Which we dont got available. Unless youre planning to level Baghdad as well? Look, it may not make sense to you and me that folks from Baghdad to Basra who dont care to actively support the insurgents, would do so if we pounded Fallujah to bits, but thats the way folks are. When the Soviets went into Afghanistan, the original opposition was fairly limited. Then, in an attempt to crush the opposition, they killed a huge bunch of people in Herat. After that the thing flared out of control, and they never got it back under control. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-04-30 4:01:00 PM |
| #9 The only way we know that the Fundi's aren't going to attack us again is to kill them now. They are not going to be "turned". We have to complete this job now. If Iraqi's under our supervision can take some of the duties in the quiet sectors of the city, fine. If the cordon starts to weaken or we see one ounce of complicity between those forces and the Fundi's, then we bring in the B-1's and B-52's. Flatten the Fallujah and start over in about 20 years. |
| Posted by: remote man 2004-04-30 1:07:47 PM |
| #8 Once found, those responsible would be tried in Iraqi courts, it said. Kinda hard to try a guy with a hole in his stomach and missing half his head. |
| Posted by: Charles 2004-04-30 12:15:13 PM |
| #7 Reuters - U.S. Marines will maintain some positions in and around Falluja as an Iraqi battalion takes over the restive town, a Marines statement said Friday. "Until the battalion's units demonstrate a capability to man designated checkpoints and positions, Marines will continue to maintain a presence in and around Falluja," the statement said. "The coalition objectives remain unchanged -- to eliminate armed groups, collect and positively control all heavy weapons and turn over foreign fighters and disarm anti-Iraqi insurgents in Falluja." A former general in Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard said Friday he was forming a new force with U.S. agreement to restore stability to the town, but fresh clashes showed that a month of fighting with Sunni Muslim insurgents was not over. The statement from the Marines said the new Iraqi force would help track down those who killed four American contractors on March 31 and the people who mutilated their bodies, the incident which led to the Marine siege. The Iraqi force would also help find those who overran Falluja's police station, killed more than 20 policemen and freed prisoners in February, it said. Once found, those responsible would be tried in Iraqi courts, it said. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-04-30 11:26:22 AM |
| #6 Stratfor says this is an attempt to put pressure on Sistani "see, we CAN work with the Sunnis, if you leave us no choice" Wheels within wheels. Wait and see. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-04-30 10:53:21 AM |
| #5 This is a big mistake. First they Al-J will spin this as a 'win' for the fundies (and I am not sure it isn't) and we are just arming 1,100 more of the enemy... Will they even need to give up the people responsible for the 4 contractors? Hello??? Remember them??? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-04-30 10:19:43 AM |
| #4 It may have been said before but it's awfully funny how the number of large bombings has fallen since Fallujah has been surrounded. which is why its hard to believe that some kind of cordon wont be maintained. But looking at the Israeli experience in the territories, there are cordons and there are cordons. Withdrawing from the center city while maintaining checkpoints around the city is virtually SOP for the IDF. Its VERY hard to believe that something like that wont be in effect here, despite the reports. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-04-30 10:05:52 AM |
| #3 IMHO... You're just going to end up back in there fighting the Fundies backed up by an extra thousand Iraqi troops. As soon as the Iraqis get in there the fundies will put them under the Islamo-hypno ray and bingo they'll be shooting at the Marines again... Election year or not, if this situation occurs- paint an arclight box over the Golan neighbourhood and show them some real hellfire. The fuss will die down in a year or two. It may have been said before but it's awfully funny how the number of large bombings has fallen since Fallujah has been surrounded. |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2004-04-30 9:59:02 AM |
| #2 I think someone's comment regards which part of Fallujah might (empasis: might) be planned for turnover to Iraqis is important. Read Wretchard's posts of today & (particularly) yesterday and picture the SE Industrial area of Fallujah, and it might make sense. Regards the Golan section, only joint actions might make sense. If there is any truth to this endless LLL press speculation (read: Wishful Thinking) of a general disengagement, then I smell the State Dept - and a potentially disastrous change in policy. We are doing it right. Puhfuckingleeze ignore the dipshits and fools who do not and never will understand either war nor Arabs. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-04-30 9:31:58 AM |
| #1 Well, I figure it's like a few years ago when Powell went to visit Arafart in his garage. At the time, I was mighty pi$$ed. It was right after a terrible suicide attack and it seemed then that we were rewarding terror, caving, showimg how weak we were, and so on. Look, the Marines and their 10+ to 1 kill ratio aren't going far and there's still going to be plenty of recon going on (Predator, etc...). This is going to be a test. |
| Posted by: John G 2004-04-30 9:21:17 AM |