<html>
<body>
<font size=3><br>
US attack belies Bremer's Falluja 'truce'<br>
<a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C1FC177A-9A9F-4933-9F33-73CD512990A0.htm" eudora="autourl">http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C1FC177A-9A9F-4933-9F33-73CD512990A0.</a><a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C1FC177A-9A9F-4933-9F33-73CD512990A0.htm" eudora="autourl">htm<br>
</a>Friday 09 April 2004 9:02 AM GMT <br><br>
<br>
<b>US occupation forces have bombed the Iraqi town of Falluja, belying
administrator Paul Bremer's announcement that his forces were suspending
military operations there.<br><br>
</b></font><font size=2>"As of noon today coalition forces have
initiated a unilateral suspension of offensive operations in
Falluja," Paul Bremer told reporters on Friday. <br><br>
<br><br>
But, the US-led occupation's deputy director of operations, Brigadier
General Mark Kimmitt, denied the reports of a ceasefire. <br><br>
<br><br>
Minutes after Bremer's announcement, US forces carried out a fresh
offensive on Falluja bombing the town from the air. Scores of residents
were injured in the attack, reported our correspondent.<br><br>
<br><br>
"There is no brokered agreement for a ceasefire in Falluja,"
Kimmitt told AFP. "There is no agreement between the rebels and the
coalition forces." <br><br>
</font><font size=3> <br><br>
</font><font size=2><b>IGC statement<br><br>
</b> <br><br>
Earlier, the Iraqi Governing Council member Mohsin Abd al-Hameed in a
statement on behalf of his Iraqi Islamic party to Aljazeera said military
action in Falluja would end for a period of 24 hours. <br><br>
<br><br>
Upon commitment to a ceasefire by the occupation forces and Iraqi
resistance fighters the ceasefire would continue, the statement
said<b>.<br><br>
<br><br>
</b>The Islamic party political bureau would send a delegation to hold
talks with prominent figures in the town, the statement said. <br><br>
</font><font size=3> <br><br>
</font><font size=2>Aljazeera, meanwhile, has learnt that during
negotiations to end the military offensive, US forces imposed many
conditions including getting the Aljazeera crew out of the
town.<br><br>
<br><br>
<b>Evacuation<br><br>
</b> <br><br>
At dawn on Friday, US forces asked the residents to evacuate the town,
reported our correspondent. <br><br>
This was preceded by bombardment by US forces since late on Thursday.
Helicopters were seen hovering after the bombings.<br><br>
Violent clashes also erupted between US forces and resistance fighters.
<br><br>
<br><br>
US tanks too reached central Falluja and bombed the Golan area as well as
Nazzal, Zubat and Askari. <br><br>
The bombardment destroyed 10 houses while three went up in flames. Our
correspondent witnessed a large family arriving at the hospital with two
of its members dead. <br><br>
<br><br>
Other members were still under debris, he said, adding that one shrapnel
hit a pregnant woman while another pierced the eye of a child. <br><br>
<br><br>
Ambulances were bringing in casualties all night while people have
started fleeing the city fearing more attacks. <br><br>
</font><font size=3> <br><br>
</font><font size=2><b>People flee<br><br>
</b> <br><br>
Men, women and children were fleeing on foot through backstreets and
paths that cut through fields, carrying small bags, food and medicines.
<br><br>
<br><br>
Most were seen heading toward the nearby village of Naimiyah, south of
Fallujah, which has been under effective US siege since Monday.
<br><br>
<br><br>
Bodies were left to rot in the streets as people cowered indoors.
<br><br>
<br><br>
On Thursday, the US marines tried to enter the neighbourhoods of Zubat
and Nazzal but the Shia militia pounded them with anti-tank rockets and
mortar fire, forcing them to retreat. <br><br>
<br><br>
The fierce confrontations have left more than 300 people dead and over
500 wounded, our correspondent reported, citing hospital
sources.<br><br>
</font><font size=3><b>Aljazeera + Agencies<br>
By <br><br>
</b>You can find this article at:<br>
<a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C1FC177A-9A9F-4933-9F33-73CD512990A0.htm" eudora="autourl">http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C1FC177A-9A9F-4933-9F33-73CD512990A0.htm</a>
<br><br>
</font><x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
</font><font size=3><a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">www.freedomarchives.org</a></font></body>
</html>