Falluja update

U.S. troops and combat aircraft unleashed artillery and precision strikes yesterday on terrorist hide-outs in Fallujah, shaping the battle space for what is designed as a final ground assault to cleanse the renegade city of foreign and Iraqi insurgents.

Washington Times article

They actually said "cleanse". Of course, that's the Moonie Times.

Military sources said a major assault could come within days, as Marines completed training for hitting specific targets inside a sprawling city of 300,000. They were also training Iraqis in the correct battlefield techniques.

"I know you want to wear masks so nobody will recognize you but the terrorists wear masks, too, and Marines shoot people with masks," Reuters quoted Marine Staff Sgt. Anthony Villa as telling the Iraqis.

Maybe the "good guys" could wear white masks.

Over the past several months, Americans have grown accustomed to a steady boost in casualties. For example, on Friday - about a year and a half after Bush declared that major combat operations were over - two more Marines were killed and four others wounded near Baghdad. The death toll among coalition forces stands at 1,200, including 1,100 Americans.

But with the military situation at Fallujah about to intensify, Americans should brace themselves, as the toll could worsen, for Americans and Iraqis alike.

Denver Post article

"Could". Brace yourself. Think you'll make it? Yeah, you can handle it. You're tough. You're American!

The president was right Thursday when he said at his post-election news conference that quelling the insurgency is necessary to ensure that Iraqi elections can take place as scheduled in January. He didn't offer any details as to how this would be done, but the sense of impending engagement is palpable in Iraq.

I think the details are pretty clear. We'll "cleanse" the cities.

Recent casualties include three members of the storied British Black Watch regiment, but the people who have suffered the most, and have the most at stake, are the Iraqis.

Ya think?

For now, all eyes are on Fallujah as the U.S. prepares a military action that, if successful, would diminish insurgent operations and give Iraqis a more stable environment and momentum toward elections.

Well there's a little pie in the sky American optimism for you. On the other hand, if we cleanse enough cities....flat and dead, it is stable.



Update 2:00pm:

As U.S. forces prepared for the offensive, warplanes dropped 500-pound bombs on several targets in the city early today. U.S. authorities identified the targets as a factory and suspected weapons caches. Residents claimed that a small Saudi-funded hospital and a warehouse for medical supplies were hit, along with dozens of houses. The bombing was reported to be the heaviest in months.

WaPo article

It is simply bullshit that they are still dropping bombs on factories and weapons caches. We have been bombing the crap out of Falluja for over a year. There can't possibly be any factories left.