US troops poised for house-to-house battle in Fallujah

4/9/2004

FALLUJAH, Iraq (AFP) - US forces pressed their drive against insurgents in the Sunni Muslim bastion of Fallujah after trying to suspend the operation and allow talks on bringing relief supplies to the battered city.

Amid conflicting reports on the state of the offensive from the coalition's Baghdad headquarters and its field commander, US marines prepared to advance on a residential area for possible house-to-house fighting.

Intelligence reports said Friday that insurgent snipers were taking positions in mosque minarets in the town west of Baghdad where hundreds have been killed in six days of fighting.

"It's going to get worse before it gets better," one marine officer, who asked not to be named, told AFP as the American troops took shelter in the comparative safety of abandoned factories.

Paul Bremer, the US overseer in Iraq, earlier announced a unilateral 24-hour halt in hostilities to enable talks to be held on allowing aid to be moved in to beleaguered Fallujah residents and bodies buried.

Bremer said the suspension was meant to "allow for a meeting between members of the (coalition-installed interim) Governing Council, local Muslim leadership and the leadership of anti-coalition forces."

But marine field commanders said the pause was short-lived.

"The suspension of offensive operations lasted for 90 minutes but it is over," said Lieutenant Colonel Brennan Byrne, a battalion commander, adding that planned talks with local tribal sheikhs never came off.

Major Pete Farnum said: "We went into pause but the enemy kept attacking us on the western side of the city. We had to defend outsrevles so we asked for permission to return to offensive operation. This was granted."

There was no further word from Bremer or the coalition's deputy director of military operations, Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, who had earlier insisted the suspension of offensive operations was still in force.

Sporadic coalition machine-gun fire echoed through the town as did the explosion of rocket-propelled-grenades (RPGs) and mortar rounds fired by insurgents. But an AFP correspondent in Fallujah said the intensity of the fighting was greatly diminished.

More than 300 Iraqis have been killed and 500 wounded in the US offensive launched after four US contractors were killed last week in Fallujah and two of their bodies savagely mutilated. The US military has said that at least two marines were also killed.

The US troops were holed up in abandoned, rat-infested factories edging the residential sector of the town, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad. They geared for a bruising fight.

"The word has passed from on high that snipers are hiding in minarets from noon today because they know we can't engage a mosque unless they engage us first," said one marine officer, who asked not to be named.

"They are trying to trap us with the rules we follow ... They blanket themselves in the grey area of war," the officer said.

In the squalid streets lying between the US troops and insurgents, bodies could be seen, left where they fell as relatives were too afraid to recover them for burial.

An AFP correspondent said he saw a dog pulling at one body which had been in the sun for at least 24 hours.

Before the US unilateral suspension was announced, one marine was wounded in a clash with insurgents on the edge of the industrial area. The marines said he was hit by an RPG in the southeastern sector which was believed to be secure.

Around 11:30 am (0730 GMT), a tank opened fire on enemy positions. One of six shells punched a hole in the minaret of a mosque that had been bombed on Wednesday. One marine officer said a sniper was in the yellow minaret.

The marines said that rules of engagement had been eased to allow the readier use of tanks and artillery.

One lieutenant, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "Basically the situation has escalated since we rode into Fallujah. At first, the plan was to shake hands with the people and engage the enemy where we find him. But when we came in here, all we faced was the enemy."

Food supplies were running short in the besieged town and Thursday residents were invited to get handouts from Sunni clerics at hospital and morgues after a food convoy managed to enter the town.

Marine officers repeated an earlier call that women and children should seek safety outside the city, and head towards the south.


The American Marine Division has the highest combat effectiveness in the American armed forces. It seems not enough for our four divisions to surround and annihilate its two regiments.

---Mao Tse Sung to General Song, prior to Chosin Reservoir

Good luck to the marines and all service men in Iraq,can then do a very good work,fast and without dies and injures for the services men and can then let our world free of the fanaticals rtards and sure ,freedom will win with all world men and women freedom lovers duing all kind of actions we could do for to help,and more,with our strongs prayers for it too.GOD BLESS YOU GYRENE AND ALL FREEDOM WARRIERS.

I cheer on those brave Iraqis who fight to defend the great town of Fallujah from the evil Americans

and personally feel sorry for those iraqi rebels

for a few reasons

1. The Americans have better fire power
2. The Iraqi rebels are not as well trained as the amercians
3. and despite the fact these brave iraqis still fight on to defend their motherland from the evil americans who still refuses to pick on somebody their own size

so i say good luck to those Iraqis fighting for their country

and i say pick on someone your own size Mr Bush

Sorry,but Mr.Bush dont have any of his size.What about do you join all petits and try get Mr.Bush?!

bush is gay


*China shall re-establish control over its long lost territories...*

Bush is gay; oh!yeah,and great is his gay power,because you or any MAN try to face him and talk some like it, only talk from behind,and how do you know are you a gay too and 'eat'him!Oh!Ok!Its clear for me now you are a gay,you eat him and he eat you!LOL!Ok,I will not talk to nobary,its just between us.Kissssssssss my dear LASSIE!

To: Paje_Brazil

Paje_Brazil u are a ProAmerican your brain has been filled up with dity American Propaganda.
I think u should go to the docter to have an operation on your head
that way the docter can remove all the American Propaganda stuck in your head and u will finally be able to think for yourself

and be careful if too much American Propaganda goes in your brain in could blow your head apart
take caution

LOL!!!

Of course I am Pro-America;and its not because any propaganda,but only because the way of life we can see,and I am seeing in the last 54 years ,like I born in May/11/1950, and have with them,in US or out,they can give the better;and, the freedom and capitalism sistem are the champion;and,because it millions of human beens of any nationalities try to go to US, and I am not a willful cry baby trying dont see they are better than others and the true good side, and stay or went to some bad side like a fool and stupid idiot.How do you think is the best?Are you Pro-China,Cuba,NK or Pro The Great Islamic Republic of Iran?If yes,is you who are needing to do a great and good brian wash,maybe a dry wash.

To: Paje_Brazil

HA me

i am Pro Hong Kong