CS Monitor: Falluja parallels in Ramadi

[Frederik]

"RAMADI, IRAQ – Some of the heaviest fighting in months erupted on Wednesday in the troubled city of Ramadi. Throughout the day, the thud of mortars, bombs, and machine-gun fire echoed down desolate streets as insurgents battled hundreds of US Marines.
An estimated 25 insurgents were killed, and 25 people - including two Iraqi police - were detained in a day of clashes, which saw 13 US soldiers lightly wounded in firefights and multiple ambushes."

"Then "it was typical Ramadi - all hell breaks loose," says Capt. Rob Weiler of Woodbridge, Va., commander of Weapons Company, who said the fighting was some of the heaviest he's seen since the nationwide uprisings of April. Outside fighters may have organized the ambushes, although local Iraqis in this tightly knit community certainly joined the fight, Marines say. "If they want to keep fighting, we'll keep killing them," says Weiler, who like many Marines here sees no end to the conflict. His company of 154 people has suffered three killed and 54 wounded - a 35-percent casualty rate."

"Nearby, nervous Ramadi residents look on. Some say they would prefer that US forces withdraw to the outskirts of the city to avoid attacks that they say often kill civilians.

After Saddam fell "we had a big hope that our problems would be fixed," says Hassem Faheawi says, an unemployed worker. "But security now is zero. All we have is people killed every day.... The cemetery is full." "

http://csmonitor.com/2004/0723/p06s01-woiq.html

[Moderator]

1. Interesting article, but dated July 23, 2004

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