Iraq Rebels Down But Not Out After Falluja Assault

[Barrett808]

Iraq Rebels Down But Not Out After Falluja Assault
Thu Dec 9, 2:57 AM ET
By Michael Georgy

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. offensive on Falluja, launched a month ago, has hurt but not broken Iraq's insurgents and violence will go on even if Iraq holds successful elections, a senior U.S. intelligence officer in the town said Thursday.

"We are very reluctant to say that we have broken their backs. We have given them a very strong jolt and disrupted their operations," Major Jim West of the Marines told Reuters in an email interview from a U.S. base outside Falluja.

"Elections will not be a sudden victory against the insurgency ... We believe that insurgents will attempt to undermine each step in the elections process."

West said U.S. and Iraqi forces were trying to build momentum after the Falluja assault by keeping guerrillas and their leaders on the run and depriving them of any new base.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/nm/20041209/ts_nm/iraq_falluja_dc

[DavidDvorkin]

1. Down?

They don't seem even to be down, let alone out.

Our government just keeps twisting reality, and the media just keep carrying water for them.

[Javaman]

2. Yet another back off of the original story...

I recall just two weeks ago the stupid ass general was strutting around with a big boner, claiming he had broken the rebels back.

We only get the real story weeks after the fact. Propaganda first, facts later....

[fertilizeonarbusto]

3. If they are down now

God help our troops when they get up. It seems there's some new horrible attack every day. What a crock!