Troops Gaining Grip In Sections of Fallujah

[Eye and Monkey]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54125-2004Apr6.html

FALLUJAH, Iraq, April 6 -- U.S. Marines established control Tuesday over portions of this volatile city, following two days and nights of resistance by insurgents firing from rooftops, windows and doorways.

Operation Vigilant Resolve, which began early Monday morning, inserted more than 2,000 U.S. troops and hundreds of armored vehicles into this city of 300,000, the scene of frequent anti-occupation violence. By early Tuesday, one Marine regiment had taken control of a large industrial zone in the southeast quarter of Fallujah, and a second regiment was operating on the north side.

"We are solidly ensconced in the city, and my units are stiffening their grip," said Lt. Col. Brennan T. Byrne, commander of the 5th Marine Regiment, which set up a command base in an abandoned soft-drink factory. "We are prepared for . . . everyone who wants to come out and fight us. We will break their backs. We will drive them out."
<snip>
"As soon as we crossed the line, there was a huge change in tone in the people, a real uneasy feeling," the commander said at an early evening briefing. "Little kids made roadblocks."

MORE -

[pfitz59]

1. "Little kids made roadblocks."

But not for long! HooRah!

[jayfish]

2. Ya Know I Live...

in a metro area with about the same population. If 2000 troops stormed the city, I doubt I would even know they existed.

Jay

[Eye and Monkey]

3. You might catch the sound of heliocopters, rockets, explosions.

Don't you think?

[jayfish]

7. Don't Be So Literal.

The point is that I have no idea how we expect to take a city of 300k with 2k soldiers. Sheesh. :think: :)

Jay

[Eye and Monkey]

10. I just read what you wrote.

[Judi Lynn]

4. This article introduces a completely new term

I've never seen it before:

"Some of the fighters are young guys, the equivalent of dope peddlers, who do this for money. Others are holy warriors willing to die for a cause," said Capt. Will Dickens, another company commander whose troops were fired on repeatedly. "The die-hard (suicide fighters) just stand up in the open, fire from the hip and stay there until they kill or are killed."
(snip)

Some Marines said that during regular patrols in the city in the past several weeks, residents had begged them for help and complained that they had no water or electricity and had seen no improvements under the American occupation.
(snip)

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

... "who do this for money"... Just like the high paid mercs who

replace our privatized military functions to avoid the letter of the law...

[Imperialism Inc.]

8. Maybe they should call them hopeless peasants.

Little more accurate.

[Judi Lynn]

9. What constitutes a peasant

and why are Iraqiis more likely to be "peasants" than any number of half wits from any other country?

I've heard Iraq was actually a very well-educated country before the sanctions were placed, and the country fell on hard times.

[daleo]

5. Gain grip, lose grip, gain grip, lose grip, gain grip, lose grip, etc.

"U.S. ground forces responded with barrages of machine-gun fire, and AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters and AC-130 gunships fired at small bands of guerrillas who immediately dragged away fallen comrades, making casualty counts impossible, U.S. officers said."

- disappearing bodies, I recall this from another spectacular battle a few months ago (it might have been the bank job).
- the marines had been complaining about the Iraqis 'cowardly tactics', but they are calling in AC-130 gunships now, rather than fight it out on the ground. It would be foolish from the marines point of view not to use whatever firepower they have, but it should put these charges of cowardice in perspective.

"Some of the fighters are young guys, the equivalent of dope peddlers, who do this for money."

- quite patriotic for 'dope peddlers'. The same was said about the VC.

[bemildred]

6. Bring 'em home now. nt

[Art_from_Ark]

12. Absolutely

Bring 'em home

[wabeewoman]

11. But for a little honesty

in Florida this nightmare would not be happening. I hate reading about it because its either our troops or their citizens dying and neither is acceptable. Whenever they write about the reasons Iraqi's are resisting I just think about how it would be if someone took over and occupied this country.

[FlemingsGhost]

13. Yah... in May, it was "Mission Accomplished."

The "war" has finally started.

We are losing...