NYT, p.1: U.S. Issues Blunt Warning to Besieged Falluja Rebels

[DeepModem Mom]

MILITARY
U.S. Issues Blunt Warning to Besieged Falluja Rebels

By IAN FISHER and STEVEN R. WEISMAN
Published: April 24, 2004


BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 23 — The American authorities increased the pressure on besieged insurgents in the Sunni Muslim stronghold of Falluja on Friday with a series of blunt warnings that if they did not lay down their arms, United States soldiers would attack within days.

A senior Bush administration official in Washington said that although a decision had not been made to attack pending a final round of negotiations, "there isn't much time left." He said the administration felt a sense of urgency because the insurgents had turned over only outdated weapons and because Falluja faced an imminent human crisis, with residents in dire need of food and medicine....

***

As American officials spoke of a looming confrontation in Falluja, Lakhdar Brahimi, the United Nations envoy enlisted by President Bush to help put together a plan for an Iraqi government, warned that any military action would be counterproductive. "When you surround a city, you bomb the city, when people cannot go to hospital, what name do you have for that?" Mr. Brahimi said in an interview with George Stephanopoulos in Paris for the ABC News program "This Week," to be broadcast Sunday. "And you, if you have enemies there, this is exactly what they want you to do, to alienate more people so that more people support them rather than you."

He added, "I very much hope — I don't know all what is happening now — but in this situation, there is no military solution."

An attack on Falluja, predominantly Sunni Muslim, risks inflaming Shiites as well. Earlier American attacks on the city aroused widespread anger across Iraq, and drove many Shiites to offer food and other support to the insurgents there....


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/24/international/middleeast/24IRAQ.html

[Zhade]

1. People are dying, and we're waiting for November.

When will we stop this madness?!

[izzie]

3. I do not think we are going to stop.

This mess is hitting all the papers around the world and we do not look good, from what I have read.Have we done this since the Fr. did in Indo-China? It is sort of interesting. Looks like this city is sending out news to really have every one hate USA. It sure has not been worth it for these 4 'guns for hire' that got killed. And now no one believes us or our govt. or army so the Iraq story will be the ones the world will hear.

[0007]

5. I certainly agree! But what gets me the most about this administration

is when they ask for help, they refuse to accept the wise advice given by Brahimi and will proceed to do things their own way.

"As American officials spoke of a looming confrontation in Falluja, Lakhdar Brahimi, the United Nations envoy enlisted by President Bush to help put together a plan for an Iraqi government, warned that any military action would be counterproductive. "When you surround a city, you bomb the city, when people cannot go to hospital, what name do you have for that?" Mr. Brahimi said in an interview with George Stephanopoulos in Paris for the ABC News program "This Week," to be broadcast Sunday. "And you, if you have enemies there, this is exactly what they want you to do, to alienate more people so that more people support them rather than you."

It would seem to me that the Generals understand this but are afraid to stand up to junior, for fear us being accused of not "staying the course" ....and when you're not "staying the course" your against junior.

OTOH, perhaps the Generals aren't getting the picture either. Can the whole world be wrong?

[Zhade]

8. "Can the whole world be wrong?" No. Definitely not.

It's our fellow Americans, ignorant of our past and present and probable future, who are wrong. Wrong about almost everything.

I wonder if they can be saved from themselves, or if We The People are doomed.

[xchrom]

2. there never was a ''military'' solution

to iraq.
i don't even know what to say anymore -- dead people all over the fucking place, the boy king AND his subjects{w/ obvious exceptions} have lost their minds and their humanity.
the iraqi's can fight us for as long as we are there -- they can agree to cease fire, surrenders and anything else you can think of and blow us up at a later time.
we killed innocent people on behalf of a lie and -- and still the citizens{too many of them} support this madness.
folks -- it would take some real fast talking to get me to believe anything other than i am watching the fall the american empire and the destruction of our society and culture.

[bemildred]

4. I doubt that the people in Faloojah read the NYT,

so I don't expect this will have much effect.

[ze_dscherman]

6. "because Falluja faced an imminent human crisis"

How did this crisis emerge? Maybe because Fallujah is under military siege? Maybe because it has been BOMBED several times? Will this crisis become better, if there are MORE BOMBS to be dropped? If tanks start to shell houses? Will the wounded without medicine feel better if more maimed bodies are brought to the hospitals?

Damned be those who started this war, and those who supported them!

[leesa]

7. Brilliant! There's a whole lot more of them then there are US soldiers

Their ONLY answer is always to blast away...bunch of thugs with empty brain pans.