US closes in on last rebel stronghold
Adam Jay and agencies
Friday November 12, 2004
The Guardian
American led forces today said they had trapped insurgents in southern Falluja, and that they hoped to gain control of the city's last rebel bastion tonight.
A US tank company commander, Captain Robert Bodisch, said many militants had been killed or captured in the south of Falluja.
"There are lots of insurgents. My tank was attacked three times. But I would say the south is the last place we are still moving to control," he said. "Marines will try get control overnight."
He added that his tanks had come under fire from rocket-propelled grenades and snipers positioned on mosque minarets. "We fired tank shells at the minarets. A lot of people were killed, dozens. Dozens were also captured at mosques," he said.
But an audiotape which surfaced on the internet, purportedly recorded by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, urged his fighters on and claimed victory was near.
"As for you heroes of Islam in Falluja, praise to your jihad, praise to your nation, praise to your religion," the speaker said. "[Have] one hour's patience, and then you will see the consequences."
The speaker said: "We have no doubt that the signs of God's victory are on the horizon.
"I speak to you, my nation, as the blood of your sons is flowing in Iraq and especially in Falluja after the onslaught of crusaders."
Today also saw renewed resistance in Jolan, in the north-west of Falluja, where a fierce battle erupted near another mosque. Rebels fired three rockets at US forces, destroying an ice factory on the edge of the district.
There had previously been no significant fighting in Jolan for more than 24 hours, but machine-gun fire and grenade explosions were heard across the area, with several gunmen seen on a rooftop bordering the mosque.
The US military also confirmed it had launched air strikes on the northern city of Mosul, where militants have defied a dusk-til-dawn curfew for the past three days, setting fire to at least seven police stations and government buildings. Masked gunmen have been roaming the streets with Kalashnikovs taken from the police.
"We have targeted known concentrations of terrorists in specific areas of the city," said Captain Angela Bowman, an army spokeswoman.
"We have used all assets available to commanders to precisely and proportionately respond to the insurgent attacks. These assets do include air strikes."
An American soldier was killed during fighting in the city, while three were injured when their helicopter was shot down 12 miles north of Baghdad.
The Blackhawk, which was hit by anti-aircraft fire in Taji, was the third US helicopter to be downed this week.
The military said its operation to take Falluja has so far led to the deaths of around 600 rebels - around half the number it believes were left in the city. At least 18 US soldiers and five Iraqi troops have also died, and 178 American soldiers have been wounded. There has been no official word on civilian casualties.
Sunni Muslim clerics today called a week-long general strike, beginning tomorrow, to protest against the killings.
"This is a call for all Iraqis to launch a general strike in all parts of Iraq by not going to work, be it in the private or the public sector, so that they can pressure the government to stop the massacres in the city of Falluja," said Sheikh Abdul-Salam al-Kobeisi.
The strike coincides with a four-day holiday, which follows the end of Ramadan. In sermons at mosques in the Baghdad area, clerics urged people to refrain from "joyous manifestations" during the holidays in solidarity with the people of Falluja.
Meanwhile, the US military insisted that those insurgents who did not flee Falluja before the onslaught were now trapped in the south of the city.
"They can't go north because that's where we are. They can't go west because of the Euphrates river and they can't go east because we have a huge presence there. So they are cornered in the south," said Marine Master Sergeant Roy Meek.
Tank crews said they had forced rebels to a southern area of the city the Americans believe is a stronghold for foreign militants led by al-Zarqawi.
But hundreds of people trying to flee the assault have been turned back by US troops. The military has issued orders that no males aged 15 to 55 should be allowed to leave, arguing that insurgents could mingle with refugees to avoid being killed or captured.
"We assume they'll go home and just wait out the storm or find a place that's safe," said an officer of the 1st Cavalry Division.
Once the battle ends, military officials say all surviving men of military-age in Falluja can expect to be tested for explosive residue, catalogued, checked against insurgent databases and interrogated about ties with militants.
US and Iraqi troops are in the midst of searching homes, and plan to check every house in the city for weapons. A Fox news reporter with marines in north-west Falluja said they had found five bodies - apparently those of civilians - in a locked house. They had been shot in the back of the head.
But it was confirmed that a hostage found alive in the city yesterday was a Syrian driver kidnapped along with two French journalists. He said he was separated from Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot around a month ago, and knew nothing of their fate since then.
The Iraqi Red Crescent Society urged US forces and the Iraqi government to let it deliver food, medicine and water to Falluja, describing conditions there as a "disaster". "We call on the Iraqi government and US forces to allow us to do our humanitarian duty to the innocent people," said a spokeswoman.
The Americans said the Red Crescent had permission to help the many civilians who have fled Falluja, but would not say if it had been granted access to the city itself.
Rasoul Ibrahim, a father of three who managed to flee Falluja with his family yesterday, described conditions in the city. "There's no water. People are drinking dirty water. Children are dying. People are eating flour because there's no proper food," he said.
The city, home to between 200,000 and 300,000 people before the assault, has been without electricity since Monday. The nearby town of Habbaniya has become a refugee camp, with around 2,000 families sheltering there.
Adam Jay and agencies
Friday November 12, 2004
The Guardian
American led forces today said they had trapped insurgents in southern Falluja, and that they hoped to gain control of the city's last rebel bastion tonight.
A US tank company commander, Captain Robert Bodisch, said many militants had been killed or captured in the south of Falluja.
"There are lots of insurgents. My tank was attacked three times. But I would say the south is the last place we are still moving to control," he said. "Marines will try get control overnight."
He added that his tanks had come under fire from rocket-propelled grenades and snipers positioned on mosque minarets. "We fired tank shells at the minarets. A lot of people were killed, dozens. Dozens were also captured at mosques," he said.
But an audiotape which surfaced on the internet, purportedly recorded by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, urged his fighters on and claimed victory was near.
"As for you heroes of Islam in Falluja, praise to your jihad, praise to your nation, praise to your religion," the speaker said. "[Have] one hour's patience, and then you will see the consequences."
The speaker said: "We have no doubt that the signs of God's victory are on the horizon.
"I speak to you, my nation, as the blood of your sons is flowing in Iraq and especially in Falluja after the onslaught of crusaders."
Today also saw renewed resistance in Jolan, in the north-west of Falluja, where a fierce battle erupted near another mosque. Rebels fired three rockets at US forces, destroying an ice factory on the edge of the district.
There had previously been no significant fighting in Jolan for more than 24 hours, but machine-gun fire and grenade explosions were heard across the area, with several gunmen seen on a rooftop bordering the mosque.
The US military also confirmed it had launched air strikes on the northern city of Mosul, where militants have defied a dusk-til-dawn curfew for the past three days, setting fire to at least seven police stations and government buildings. Masked gunmen have been roaming the streets with Kalashnikovs taken from the police.
"We have targeted known concentrations of terrorists in specific areas of the city," said Captain Angela Bowman, an army spokeswoman.
"We have used all assets available to commanders to precisely and proportionately respond to the insurgent attacks. These assets do include air strikes."
An American soldier was killed during fighting in the city, while three were injured when their helicopter was shot down 12 miles north of Baghdad.
The Blackhawk, which was hit by anti-aircraft fire in Taji, was the third US helicopter to be downed this week.
The military said its operation to take Falluja has so far led to the deaths of around 600 rebels - around half the number it believes were left in the city. At least 18 US soldiers and five Iraqi troops have also died, and 178 American soldiers have been wounded. There has been no official word on civilian casualties.
Sunni Muslim clerics today called a week-long general strike, beginning tomorrow, to protest against the killings.
"This is a call for all Iraqis to launch a general strike in all parts of Iraq by not going to work, be it in the private or the public sector, so that they can pressure the government to stop the massacres in the city of Falluja," said Sheikh Abdul-Salam al-Kobeisi.
The strike coincides with a four-day holiday, which follows the end of Ramadan. In sermons at mosques in the Baghdad area, clerics urged people to refrain from "joyous manifestations" during the holidays in solidarity with the people of Falluja.
Meanwhile, the US military insisted that those insurgents who did not flee Falluja before the onslaught were now trapped in the south of the city.
"They can't go north because that's where we are. They can't go west because of the Euphrates river and they can't go east because we have a huge presence there. So they are cornered in the south," said Marine Master Sergeant Roy Meek.
Tank crews said they had forced rebels to a southern area of the city the Americans believe is a stronghold for foreign militants led by al-Zarqawi.
But hundreds of people trying to flee the assault have been turned back by US troops. The military has issued orders that no males aged 15 to 55 should be allowed to leave, arguing that insurgents could mingle with refugees to avoid being killed or captured.
"We assume they'll go home and just wait out the storm or find a place that's safe," said an officer of the 1st Cavalry Division.
Once the battle ends, military officials say all surviving men of military-age in Falluja can expect to be tested for explosive residue, catalogued, checked against insurgent databases and interrogated about ties with militants.
US and Iraqi troops are in the midst of searching homes, and plan to check every house in the city for weapons. A Fox news reporter with marines in north-west Falluja said they had found five bodies - apparently those of civilians - in a locked house. They had been shot in the back of the head.
But it was confirmed that a hostage found alive in the city yesterday was a Syrian driver kidnapped along with two French journalists. He said he was separated from Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot around a month ago, and knew nothing of their fate since then.
The Iraqi Red Crescent Society urged US forces and the Iraqi government to let it deliver food, medicine and water to Falluja, describing conditions there as a "disaster". "We call on the Iraqi government and US forces to allow us to do our humanitarian duty to the innocent people," said a spokeswoman.
The Americans said the Red Crescent had permission to help the many civilians who have fled Falluja, but would not say if it had been granted access to the city itself.
Rasoul Ibrahim, a father of three who managed to flee Falluja with his family yesterday, described conditions in the city. "There's no water. People are drinking dirty water. Children are dying. People are eating flour because there's no proper food," he said.
The city, home to between 200,000 and 300,000 people before the assault, has been without electricity since Monday. The nearby town of Habbaniya has become a refugee camp, with around 2,000 families sheltering there.
