The Assault on Fallujah has begun...

Ma Deuce · Post by **Ma Deuce** » 2004-11-08 08:10am

The Globe and Mail wrote:Assault begins on Fallujah
U.S. troops advance as Iraqi PM declares 60-day state of emergency

By SHAWN McCARTHY
With a report from Associated Press
Monday, November 8, 2004 - Page A1

U.S. troops launched their long-expected assault on the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah last night, part of a broader effort to pacify the seething country before next January's elections.

American forces had sealed off the city of 300,000 as they awaited the go-ahead from Iraqi interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, who declared a 60-day state of emergency yesterday and an around-the-clock curfew in the area surrounding Fallujah.

After midnight, U.S. ground troops stormed into the western districts of the city, seizing the main city hospital and securing two key bridges over the Euphrates River in the first stage of the assault. An AC-130 gunship raked the city with 40-mm cannon fire as explosions lit the night sky. Intermittent artillery fire blasted southern neighbourhoods of Fallujah, and fireballs from high-explosive airbursts were reportedly seen above the rooftops.

U.S. defence officials told CNN that taking the hospital was one of the initial objectives of the offensive, but they would not say when U.S. and Iraqi forces would push into the rest of the city. U.S. officials predicted that the toughest fight would be in the main part of Fallujah on the east bank of the river, including the neighbourhood of Jolan, where insurgent defences are believed to be strongest.

Mr. Allawi, a secular Shiite, said the state of emergency, which applied across the country except for the Kurdish north, was a "very powerful message" that Baghdad and Washington are serious about reining in insurgents before the country votes.

"We want to secure the country so elections can be done in a peaceful way and the Iraqi people can participate in the elections freely, without the intimidation by terrorists and by forces who are trying to wreck the political process in Iraq," he said.

Mr. Allawi's unelected government faces a major test over the battle for Fallujah. Sunni leaders inside the government have urged the Prime Minister to delay the attack to give negotiations one more chance, while U.S. military sources acknowledge that the insurgents will attempt to drag out the fight and highlight civilian casualties to win maximum propaganda advantage.

Last week, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned that an all-out assault on Fallujah could hamper efforts to hold the vote in January, saying that the violence could further undermine the legitimacy of the interim government among Sunnis.

An influential group of Sunni clerics, the Association of Muslim Scholars, threatened to call a boycott of elections if Fallujah was attacked. A public outcry over civilian casualties prompted the United States to call off a siege in April, after which the city fell under the control of radical clerics.

Mr. Allawi said nothing in public about the beginning of the attack in Fallujah, although U.S. commanders have said it would be his responsibility to order the storming of the city.

The Prime Minister is dispatching envoys to neighbouring Arab states to win support for his handling of the insurgency in his homeland, a government spokesman said yesterday.

But Mohammed Bashar Faidhi, spokesman for the Association of Muslim Scholars, which represents 3,000 Sunni Muslim clergy in Iraq and has been a leading voice for the resistance, said the state of emergency will only serve to increase violence in the country.

"The government is like a man walking in the dark who wants to avoid a small hole and falls into a big hole," he said. "At this point, the government can't even protect itself. How can it impose a state of emergency? Allawi, when he travels, half of the American army accompanies him."

Over the weekend, insurgents waged a series of bloody attacks across the Sunni triangle, including the town of Samarra, which U.S. forces supposedly cleared of insurgent forces in an offensive last month.

Insurgents stormed police stations, assassinated government officials and set off car bombs yesterday. About 60 people were reported killed and 75 injured in the two days of attacks, including 22 policemen who were shot by armed rebels who stormed three stations in the towns of Haditha and Haqlaniyah, about 200 kilometres northwest of Baghdad.

The attacks raised questions about whether the Americans and their Iraqi allies can maintain control in hostile Sunni towns after offensives have flushed insurgents from their strongholds.

But at Fallujah, there was no question about the scale of the U.S. military force. More than 10,000 troops were ready to participate in the assault, including two Marine battalions, an army battalion and two Iraqi brigades.

U.S. jets have been pounding the rebel bastion for days, and U.S. planners have said much of its civilian population has fled. On Saturday, the U.S. forces launched their heaviest air strikes in six months, dropping five 225-kilogram bombs on insurgent targets.

American intelligence officials estimate that there are about 3,000 insurgents dug in behind the defences and booby traps guarding Fallujah, a city that has become a symbol throughout the Islamic world of resistance to the U.S.-led occupation.

U.S. Sergeant-Major Carlton Kent, the top enlisted Marine in Iraq, told 2,500 troops that the coming battle would be "no different" than the historic fights at Inchon in Korea, the flag-raising victory at Iwo Jima or the bloody assault to dislodge North Vietnamese from the ancient citadel of Hue, seized during the 1968 Tet offensive.

"You're all in the process of making history," Sgt.-Maj. Kent said. "This is another Hue city in the making. I have no doubt, if we do get the word, that each and every one of you is going to do what you have always done -- kick some butt." For the insurgents, victory means negotiating an end to the fighting and retaining some control over Fallujah, or at least keeping the Americans out of the city. If they can fight the Americans to a stalemate, it will be viewed as a victory in the Arab world.

"They believe they can achieve what they did in April," said Colonel Michael Formica, who commands the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division's 2nd Brigade. "Their goal is to maximize casualties and drag it out. They want to break the will of the United States back home, and bring the Iraqi government to the bargaining table. They want to set conditions to maintain control."

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » 2004-11-08 08:10am

Your speed is to be commended Ma Deuce. *shakes fist*

Ma Deuce · Post by **Ma Deuce** » 2004-11-08 08:12am

Shit: looks like frigidmagi posted the same story less than a minute before I did. Could a mod please lock this?

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » 2004-11-08 08:13am

They locked mine. No worries.

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » 2004-11-08 08:14am

Sgt.-Maj. Kent said. "This is another Hue city in the making.

Do we have to reference that battle from that war?

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2004-11-08 08:44am

during my drill this weekend, my captain said this would be the biggest urban combat since hue.

Id post number of batallions Ive heard going in, but you know how it is

so, what is it, a week after elections? this should be fun.

I wonder if it will increase my activation time any.

Stormin · Post by **Stormin** » 2004-11-08 09:44am

I noticed first thing captured was the hospital, about time they figured out how to do something right. Better to take buildings like hospitals now and totally deny them to the insergents rather than having to take them later by blowing a path through civilian meatshields.

CmdrWilkens · Post by **CmdrWilkens** » 2004-11-08 09:49am

frigidmagi wrote:
Sgt.-Maj. Kent said. "This is another Hue city in the making.
Do we have to reference that battle from that war?

As urban battles go it was rather successful and the next most recent example after that one would have to reach all the way back to Seoul so its as good a reference point as any.

Boyish-Tigerlilly · Post by **Boyish-Tigerlilly** » 2004-11-08 01:30pm

I hope we don't take too many losses.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2004-11-08 01:36pm

Good luck to everyone involved.

Go get 'em, guys.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-11-08 02:30pm

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-11-08 02:38pm

I'm wishing the best to all the soldiers involved in this over there. Hopefully this mission will help stabilize the country and bring a swifter end to the fighting.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2004-11-08 04:16pm

CmdrWilkens wrote:
As urban battles go it was rather successful and the next most recent example after that one would have to reach all the way back to Seoul so its as good a reference point as any.

Well, in both cases we did sort of destroy large fractions of the cities involved. Though that is really unlikely to happen this time around given all the improvements and advances in weapons and tactics.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2004-11-08 06:50pm

Insurgents load a rocket-propelled grenade into a launch tube during an attack on U.S. forces in Fallujah, Iraq (news - web sites), Monday, Nov. 8, 2004. American troops fought their way into the western outskirts of Fallujah on Monday, seizing a hospital and two bridges over the Euphrates River in the first stage of a major assault on the insurgent stronghold. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Insurgents load weapons during an attack on U.S. forces in Fallujah, Iraq (news - web sites), Monday, Nov. 8, 2004. American troops fought their way into the western outskirts of Fallujah on Monday, seizing a hospital and two bridges over the Euphrates River in the first stage of a major assault on the insurgent stronghold. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Insurgents, using small arms and mortars, launch an attack on U.S. forces in Fallujah, Iraq (news - web sites), Monday, Nov. 8, 2004. American troops fought their way into the western outskirts of Fallujah on Monday, seizing a hospital and two bridges over the Euphrates River in the first stage of a major assault on the insurgent stronghold. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Insurgents fire mortar rounds toward U.S. forces in Fallujah, Iraq (news - web sites), Monday, Nov. 8, 2004. American troops fought their way into the western outskirts of Fallujah on Monday, seizing a hospital and two bridges over the Euphrates River in the first stage of a major assault on the insurgent stronghold. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

*********************************

You know, for a moment I still thought the media had a shred of respect. No longer. Treat anyone with a camera who isn't embedded as an enemy
combatant (which they ARE in the war of media) and shoot on sight.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-11-08 07:25pm

Shep, if you're getting pissed over them photgraphing this and not doing anything, say, going all Rambo on them, then that's petty. They're neutral in this, like medics, and are just showing the world what is going on. They are non-combatants no matter what you say unless armed.

Or would you prefer total media black-out?

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2004-11-08 07:45pm

What would you prefer Shep, reporters to go with guns hidden and to kill terrorists? They aren't fucking soldiers, they wouldn't last a minute, and after the terrorists got wind of it they would shoot reporters on sight. It would either be total media blackout like Vlad said or they go in there and report insurgents killing Americans. Which alternative is better?

Brian

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-11-08 08:02pm

Great plan. Shoot all non-US/non-European reporters. Then that little problem of us consistently pissing off the Arab world will just disappear.

irishmick79 · Post by **irishmick79** » 2004-11-08 09:10pm

Does anybody else feel that Bush is a coward for waiting this long to give the final go ahead for the assault? It seems to me like they have been sitting around Falluja and waiting for the "go" order for a few months now. Bush wanted to make sure his political ass wasn't on the line before he sent in the soldiers to put their ass on the line.

That being said, good luck to the troops going in. I hope this is a cakewalk compared to Hue.

mauldooku · Post by **mauldooku** » 2004-11-08 09:21pm

CNN.com wrote: Pentagon officials said the operation involves more than 2,000 Iraqis and about 10,000 U.S. troops.

U.S. tanks fired 120-mm rounds into booby-trapped barricades for about an hour, igniting massive explosions. (Map of Falluja)

Military officials told CNN's Jane Arraf, embedded with troops, one of the initial goals has been achieved -- clearing a path through defenses in the northern part of the city.

The Army said U.S. airstrikes against one position killed an estimated 20 to 25 insurgents.

Four Marines were wounded in one engagement, a medic told embedded CNN journalist Karl Penhaul.

Penhaul reported hearing an almost constant barrage of explosions and machine gun fire and said that tracer fire was lighting the night sky. Insurgents could be heard chanting in Arabic: "God is great."

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/11/ ... index.html

Northern part of the city is already cleared out!

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-11-08 09:25pm

Insurgents load a rocket-propelled grenade into a launch tube during an attack on U.S. forces in Fallujah, Iraq

[soviet nitpicker]That's not an RPG, that's an SPG-9 recoilless rifle.[/soviet nitpicker]

IMO, this battle isn't going to be nearly as bad or as decisive as anyone seems to think. Guerillas do not sit around waiting for an attack that has been telegraphed for months from conventional forces. I'd wager the bulk of insurgents are long since gone, only the fools have remained.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2004-11-08 09:32pm

irishmick79 wrote:Does anybody else feel that Bush is a coward for waiting this long to give the final go ahead for the assault? It seems to me like they have been sitting around Falluja and waiting for the "go" order for a few months now. Bush wanted to make sure his political ass wasn't on the line before he sent in the soldiers to put their ass on the line.

Ostensibly, at least, Alawi was the one who was waiting on the negotiations. He may easily have been influenced by the Americans, but he seems to have been the final arbiter of when they would go in.

That being said, good luck to the troops going in. I hope this is a cakewalk compared to Hue.

Yeah. That makes two of us.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2004-11-08 09:43pm

irishmick79 wrote:Does anybody else feel that Bush is a coward for waiting this long to give the final go ahead for the assault? It seems to me like they have been sitting around Falluja and waiting for the "go" order for a few months now. Bush wanted to make sure his political ass wasn't on the line before he sent in the soldiers to put their ass on the line.

That being said, good luck to the troops going in. I hope this is a cakewalk compared to Hue.

That's alot of it, but a fair amount of time would have been necessary no matter what since the US military has been steadily reorganization and redeploying forces across Iraq so that it could mass a sufficiently large force to ensure the city is crushed. The last offensive against it used 2,500 US troops, this time around 10,000 are available, which is about 9% of all US troops in Iraq.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-11-08 09:45pm

I'm sure it's a complete coincidence that this major offensive ended up taking place just days after the election, and has nothing whatsoever to do with any political machinations.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-11-08 09:47pm

MKSheppard wrote:You know, for a moment I still thought the media had a shred of respect. No longer. Treat anyone with a camera who isn't embedded as an enemy
combatant (which they ARE in the war of media) and shoot on sight.

Right, because cameras are military weapons now

Sorry, but that's complete and utter bullshit. An unarmed cameraman is a civilian. Your fervent desire to crush freedom of inconvenient information does not amount to an ethical justification.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2004-11-08 10:02pm

Vympel wrote:IMO, this battle isn't going to be nearly as bad or as decisive as anyone seems to think. Guerillas do not sit around waiting for an attack that has been telegraphed for months from conventional forces. I'd wager the bulk of insurgents are long since gone, only the fools have remained.

I heard on the news that the leader and his top liutenants have already left. I think I heard it yesterday.