Sept. 23, 2004:
In Samarra, the Iraqi government has tackled the insurgents who once controlled the city.
And this today:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040930/wl_nm/iraq_assault_report_dc_2WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. forces accompanied by the Iraqi national guard launched a major offensive against insurgents in the northern Iraqi city of Samarra Thursday, CNN reported.
CNN's reporter in Iraq (news - web sites), Jane Arraf, in a live broadcast from the city, said she was accompanying U.S. forces engaged in the attack, which she described as "an entire brigade-size operation into Samarra to root out insurgents."
She said she had been told there were an estimated 2,000 fighters in the rebel stronghold, including 250 foreigners.
Arraf said the city had previously had been off limits to U.S. forces under an agreement that they would not patrol there.