Fallujah Weapons Sweep Holds Up Civilians

[maddezmom]

~snip~

Most of Fallujah's estimated 250,000 civilians left the central Iraq (news - web sites) city ahead of the devastating Nov. 8 assault and "it will be probably several more weeks" before significant numbers of them can return, said Lt. Col. Dan Wilson of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.


~snip~

Ultimately, the country's interim government will decide when the city is safe for civilians and Iraqi security forces will screen returnees, Wilson said.


"Iraqi forces are in a much better position to screen whoever is coming and going into Fallujah," Wilson said, adding the Iraqi troops performed better in Fallujah than in previous operations across Iraq, when many deserted.


"They were getting better and better, they bonded and have now become seasoned Iraqi battalions capable of pursuing terrorists," he said. "Before you know it, they will be dealing with the insurgency."



more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=1&u=/ap/20041124/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_fallujah

How many more excuses will they hear?? :eyes:

[VegasWolf]

1. More likely hiding the children's bodies. n/t

[alexisfree]

2. next ..

they will be a looking for Jesus for doing antiwar treats..

[maddezmom]

3. reuters: Falluja Rebels Had Enough Arms to Rule Iraq -U.S.

***Propaganda Alert*****

We found enough weapons in Falluja for the insurgency to take over the whole country," Lieutenant Colonel Dan Wilson told a news conference at a U.S. base near the western city.


The U.S.-led invasion, which crushed foreign Muslim militants and Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) loyalists, was designed to break the back of an insurgency based mostly in Falluja and stabilize the city ahead of elections set for January.


Since then U.S. Marines have been conducting exhausting and sometimes dangerous house-to-house searches for weapons caches in 50,000 buildings identified by the Americans in the city of about 350,000 people.


Wilson said the Marines were surprised by the number and range of weapons, from home-made flame throwers to surface-to-air missiles, found in a city that was seen as the backbone of a relentless insurgency.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=586&ncid=586&e=4&u=/nm/20041124/wl_nm/iraq_falluja_weapons_dc