Good news in Fallujah

[fintstone]

Progress in Iraq
Kerry's wrong. There's good news in Fallujah.

Thursday, October 21, 2004 12:01 a.m.

With polls showing a tight Presidential race, it's possible John Kerry could be our commander-in-chief soon. So it would be nice to think he's paying enough attention to what's going on in Iraq to know that conditions there aren't, as he said a few days ago, "getting worse each week."
The kidnappings, mortar attacks and roadside bombs continue--and will until the insurgency is defeated. But recent weeks have actually seen progress by American and Iraqi forces toward reasserting control over Saddam's old stronghold in the Sunni Triangle. That, in turn, means credible nationwide elections in January are more likely than ever.

The first of the troublesome cities to return to Iraqi government control was Samarra early this month. In recent days American and Iraqi forces have also carried out successful anti-terrorist raids in several towns just south of Baghdad populated by disgruntled ex-employees of the old regime's military-industrial complex. Insurgent cells in Mahmudiya, Yusufiya and Latifiya are the reason the road between Baghdad and Najaf has been so dangerous.

Most important, allied forces seem poised finally to take control of Fallujah, which has been a no-go zone since the end-of-April deal that turned the town over to ex-Baathists called the Fallujah Brigade. That decision was easily the biggest mistake of the war, since it caused both friend and foe to question American resolve and gave the thugs a safe haven from which to stage car bombings and other attacks.

At the moment, the Marines have established a cordon around the city and the Iraqi government is negotiating with local tribal leaders to give up the couple thousand foreign fighters--including arch-terrorist Abu Musab al Zarqawi--thought to be in the city. Meanwhile, some locals are providing intelligence that has allowed us to kill a lot of those foreign fighters via airstrikes. Presumably the White House and Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi won't make the same mistake twice, and once they begin a Fallujah assault they won't stop short of unconditional surrender.

One reason for this progress is that we're finally being helped by a substantial number of Iraqi troops. The force that took Samarra included 3,000 Americans and 2,000 Iraqis, with the latter providing local knowledge and helping secure sensitive sites like mosques.
More recently around Mahmudiya, U.S. forces rounded up a number of suspects, but it was only the arrival Monday of Colonel Mohamed Essa Baher of the Iraqi National Guard that allowed them to identify one captive as a top Zarqawi paymaster. Colonel Baher was ambushed and almost killed on Tuesday--one of his sons has already been killed--but he vows to pursue the terrorists "to the last breath."

Which brings us to another point that deserves more attention: the courage of the Iraqis. Young men continue to line up by the thousands outside the police and National Guard recruiting stations that have so often been targets of terrorist attack. On Tuesday a mortar struck the ING headquarters in Mushahidah, killing four. But recruit Qusay Hassan was quoted saying, "If I don't join the army, who is going to defend the country from the terrorists?"

If we have one reservation about the current progress in Iraq, it's the apparent truce with Muqtada al-Sadr. The good news here is that Sadr City in Baghdad has been pacified for the moment, and that Sadr's Mehdi Army has handed over some heavy weaponry. The bad news is that Sadr has American and Iraqi blood on his hands, and our failure to arrest or kill him may set another bad precedent. But unlike the April Fallujah deal, at least we're not ceding territory to the bad guys but gaining it.

Mr. Bush deserves credit for going on offense now, since the path of least resistance would be not to stir up the hornets' nest of the Sunni Triangle before November 2. Acting now and with urgency tells Iraqis we intend to honor our pledge to hold elections by January. There was always going to be violence in Iraq in the run-up to November 2 as the Baathists and Islamists sought to demoralize American voters. So why not attack instead of waiting for the bombs to hit? We're guessing we're not the only ones who will feel better about the Administration's Iraq policy on Election Day if the liberation of Fallujah is finally under way.

[bryanthompson]

Clear the good citizens from the town, tell them anyone left is an enemy and will be killed. After 3 days, go through the city killing anyone left. end of story. mission complete. The people can then move back into their homes.

That's how I'd do it... You can't be sensitive with people who would like to blow you and your family up. You're an enemy, you die. done.

[red ufo]

Ya, just kill the whole town. That way nobody will be alive to save. Hell they aren't Christians and going to hell anyway right.

Onward Christian soldier.