The Death of Fallujah

sorry for the delayed "hit", as it were. My computer effectively blew up and after a reformat; I am now in disabled, but working, form.

Just a question...

For those of you here who, now that we are in Iraq, believe that the only thing to do otherwise is to leave a stable democratic country; what are the options for a city such as Fallujah? If you do not hold belief to that stated above; I know your answer so don't feel the need to respond.

Though amittedly, I have not had the time to ponder such things, I think that the most effective option was to clear Fallujah 7 months ago; that would have been far less costly then currently, But I think that the election delayed such action from occuring. Sad. Your thoughts...

It wasnt politically possible 7 month ago...

1/ Coz of the hundreds of Civilian Deaths that occured.

2/ The mass desertion of the Iraqi Forces that were supporting, due to the above. Leaving the US as basically bombing the crap out of the city by itself.

3/ The huge increase of Resistance Fighters all over Iraq when you were attacking one of the most holy Islamic cities there is, which basically would have fucked up Bush's election hopes.


In your administration's opinion, the most important... number 3/ has now been cleared up, and they dont give a shit about the other 2 reasons.

Quote:

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PENTAGON (AP) - The Pentagon says the past two days of fighting in Iraq have claimed 14 American lives.

Yesterday's count of eleven dead is the highest one-day total in more than a-half year. Officials say most of those deaths came in a wave of attacks in Baghdad and southwest of Fallujah.

Iraq's interim prime minister has declared a nighttime curfew in Baghdad and its surroundings. This, a day after a string of insurgent attacks in Baghdad that killed nine Iraqis and wounded more than 80.

US soldiers in central Fallujah

PENTAGON (AP) - American soldiers are in the heart of Fallujah.

Officials say some of the troops are engaging clusters of guerrilla fighters while still others are going house-to-house, looking for insurgents and weapons.

Pentagon offcials say the fighting has been lighter than expected in the northwest part of Fallujah, a location that's been a insurgent stronghold for months.

That may not be a good thing, though.

Some defense officials are taking that as a sign that significant numbers of insurgents have left Fallujah, with plans to fight another day in another location.

There are new reports that hundreds of guerrillas are roaming the streets of nearby Ramadi, in hoods and masks brandishing weapons.

Clerics call for Iraqi elections boycott

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Sunni Muslim clerics are calling for a boycott of Iraq's national elections in January.

It's intended to protest the US-led offensive in Fallujah.

The secretary-general of the Association of Muslim Scholars says the election would be held "over the corpses of those killed in Fallujah and the blood of the wounded."

The group had threatened before to call for a boycott if an all-out assault on Fallujah took place.

The boycott is unlikely to gain much support among the majority Shiite population. Shiites make up about 60 percent of all Iraqis.

US officials and others fear, though, that a lack of Sunni participation could raise questions about the vote's legitimacy.

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Source

Unconfirmed reports of 35 US troops captured in fallujh.. source

Pentagon reports 6 US troops dead, 10 wounded.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ruthie

Unconfirmed reports of 35 US troops captured in fallujh.. source

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I heard that earlier but didn't give it much credit

me either, not at this point.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ruthie

me either, not at this point.

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I'd have thought they would probably have preffered to go out fighting than be taken prisoner too :unsure:


I hope its not true anyway

Now they are saying 11 dead troops..yesterday.

Yeah I heard about that, Black Watch took casulties yesterday too.

Unfortunately I don't think we have seen the worst of it yet either.