BBC: Fierce fighting in Iraq's Ramadi

[leftchick]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4301559.stm


<snip>

Ramadi is a largely Sunni town about 70km (45 miles) west of Baghdad and one of the insurgents' most stubborn strongholds.

Iraqi policemen, and others regarded by the militants as collaborators, have in recent months been shot dead or beheaded in public in broad daylight in the town streets.

Now it is one of the focal points in a week-old campaign by the Americans and Iraqi government troops to get a grip on the town and its province, Unbar, where just 2% of the population voted in last month's elections.

The Americans and their allies have also been raiding suspected insurgent hideouts further up the Euphrates valley, towards the Syrian border.

[kohodog]

1. Gee, I haven't heard anything about this on ABC or the other Corporate New

Wonder why?

[Igel]

2. Some links

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/21/international/middleeast/21iraq.html?

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-iraq.html

The Euphrates (the river in "river sweep") runs from S. of Fallujah (missing that city) through Ramadi, to Hadithah (including the quaint little burg of Haqlaniya, I think it was, from a recent DU post), and over to Syria.

Edit: a handy map:

[daleo]

3. Are they being punished for not voting?

"...a week-old campaign by the Americans and Iraqi government troops to get a grip on the town and its province, Unbar, where just 2% of the population voted in last month's elections."

This kind of thing can spoil the democracy show.

[TexasLawyer]

4. I hope Ramadi doesn't become another Fallujah

This war has got to end, for everyone's sake.