[News] Iraqis dispute US progress in Falluja

[News at freedomarchives.org]

Iraqis dispute US progress in Falluja
by
Saturday 13 November 2004 11:04 PM GMT

A spokesman for the Falluja resistance says US forces are at an impasse in 
the city, and denies the US offensive against the town has succeeded.

Speaking to Aljazeera by telephone on Saturday, the spokesman said the US 
military was suffering increasing numbers of casualties.

"The announcement of the end of the military offensive is proof that 
American forces are in an impasse ... the American criminals and the Iraqi 
apostates have suffered more than 150 killed and more than 270 wounded," 
said Abu Saad al-Dlimi, spokesman of the Shura (consultative) Council of 
the Muhajidin in Falluja.

Earlier, US-backed Iraqi government officials pronounced the conclusion of 
a massive six-day US offensive on Falluja.

"Today alone, young freedom fighters have been able to torch more than 12 
[American military] vehicles," said the resistance spokesman, adding that 
the situation had not changed for the past three days.

"US forces are still outside the [northwestern] Julan neighbourhood. US 
forces were not able to gain one metre of this district," Dlimi added.

"US forces are meeting with fierce resistance from inside Falluja districts 
... and are surrounded. They are under missile and artillery fire," he said.

Only pockets left

A senior Iraqi official said earlier on Saturday that the battle to retake 
the city was over, with more than 1000 fighters killed, but that the 
country's most wanted man, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, had fled.

"Operation Fajr (Dawn) has been achieved and only the malignant pockets 
remain that we are dealing with through a clean-up operation," Qasim Dawud, 
a minister of state, said.

The US military, which spearheaded the six-day assault, said commanders on 
the ground had yet to declare the operation over.

But a US officer said on Sunday that fighters were showing much less 
resistance than before.

"Two days ago they were coming out and fighting us. Last night they were 
running. It looks like we are about to break their will," tank company 
commander Captain Robert Bodisch said.

Disinformation

Dlimi rejected Dawud's assertions.

"The number of martyrs among young fighters does not exceed 100, the others 
are unarmed civilians who were crushed by American tanks," said Dlimi.

"If [the Americans] say they have wrapped up operations in Falluja, we are 
telling them that if that is true allow all satellite networks to enter the 
city this night so the world can see what is really happening in the 
streets of Falluja.

"Everything they are announcing is disinformation. Falluja is the theatre 
of butchery and destruction. Today they bombed the only telecommunications 
centre which provided links between Falluja and the outside world. 
Americans are criminals," said the spokesman.

So many pockets

Local journalist in Falluja, Haza al-Afify, told Aljazeera: "Fierce clashes 
are still under way at the northern and northwestern edges of Julan 
neighbourhood. Fighting is also raging in the southern and southeastern 
neighbourhoods, particularly at al-Shuhada neighbourhood and the industrial 
quarter.

"What we have heard on ending military operations as stated by the Iraqi 
State Minister for Defence Qasim Dawud does not bear credibility in 
relation to the reality of the situation on the ground.

"Fierce clashes are still continuing in several neighbourhoods. If these 
neighbourhoods are mere pockets, Falluja will be harbouring so many pockets."

He added that while US tanks and armoured vehicles had the main roads under 
control, the narrow alleys were still out of reach to US forces.

"I assure you that the reality of the current situation does not imply a 
halt to military operations, he said."

Aljazeera + Agencies
By

You can find this article at:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C5EFBA6C-17FA-4211-8D08-E6A80CED5C95.htm 



The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20041114/697d6adf/attachment.htm>