Residents have returned to Fallujah

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.dcmilitary.com/army/pentagram/10_03/national_news/33010-1.html

The Marine Expeditionary Force started reopening the city of Fallujah Dec. 23 to returning residents. Only 921 citizens passed through checkpoints on the first day. The Marines' commander, Lt. Gen. John Sattler, said at a Pentagon news briefing Wednesday.

Tuesday 9,400 people returned to their city, which was the scene of fierce battles between Marine and Army units versus insurgents during November the general reported. The city of 18 districts was reopened one district at a time.

Only 12 government workers showed up on the first day as opposed to the 640 people now working alongside the coalition team. More than 400 contractors showed this week compared to 192 Dec. 23. The coalition set up three humanitarian assistance locales in the city, but only six people showed up the first day, while more than 2,000 citizens visited the sights this week to collect food, water, blankets, heaters, petroleum and other essential supplies.

Sattler announced a plan, approved by Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, to pay more than 32,000 heads of households a humanitarian assistance payment of $200. This is to allow for the purchase of essential goods and services either in Fallujah, or to help them while they remain with relatives and friends until their homes are repaired.

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Remember when this country used to have war correspondents who reported from the scene of actual combat? We can't even have embedded reporters any more since shooting wounded and unarmed Iraqis became so common place that even they began reporting it. Haven't heard from Kevin Sites since he apologized to the military for filming war in all of its brutality. Just a few minutes of reality was more than this country could handle. Back to The Apprentice.

[THUNDER HANDS]

1. $6.4 million

for destroying a city. Seems a tad light to me. That's about one quarter of Carlos Delgado's 2005 salary with the Mets.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. This would buy a small house in Malibu.

[daleo]

3. They don't really give the number of returnees

X amount passed through a gate - not saying if people are double counted etc.

[no_to_war_economy]

4. they will leave again as soon as they return

what is there to come back to NO water NO electricity NO life

[lawladyprof]

5. "visited the sights"? How Orwellian.

I believe the author meant "visited the sites." Don't these people proof their work anymore instead of relying on spell-check?