Is the US military preparing another massacre in Fallujah?

[seemslikeadream]

WSWS : News & Analysis : Middle East : Iraq

Is the US military preparing another massacre in Fallujah?
By James Conachy
29 June 2004


There are indications that the US military is preparing another massacre in Fallujah, where over 1,000 Iraqis were killed during the American siege of the city in April. The number of US troops in the surrounding province of al-Anbar is being increased and a campaign is underway in the US and international media to demonize Fallujah as the headquarters of Abu Musaab al-Zarqawi—the Jordanian Islamic extremist in whose name a series of provocative killings have been carried out in Iraq, including last week’s bombings across the country and the murders of Nick Berg and Korean national Kim Sun-il.

The US Marine Corp is bringing in new forces which could provide the vanguard for an assault within a matter of weeks. Some 2,200 fresh marines, including the Third Battalion of the First Marine Regiment, are currently being rushed from California to the Fallujah area to reinforce the units that were involved in the heavy fighting in April. In a departure from normal procedure, the newly-arriving troops are reportedly not going to be given any time to acclimatize in Kuwait to the burning heat of an Iraqi summer, but deployed immediately. A total of 5,000 extra marines are being brought by the beginning of August.

Since June 19, three US air strikes have been carried out on Fallujah homes, sending tensions in the city to a fever pitch. US spokesmen have claimed that the targeted buildings were “safe houses” for Tawhid wa al-Jihad—the organization allegedly headed by Zarqawi. Fallujah leaders and members of the US-armed and paid Fallujah Brigade militia have categorically rejected the US accusation that Zarqawi and his shadowy organization are in the city. Al Jazeerah has carried interviews with locals, testifying that those killed by the American air strikes were Iraqi civilians.

Last Thursday, American tanks and marines advanced to the fringes of the city’s eastern suburb of al-Askeri, provoking a battle with the resistance fighters who have defended Fallujah from the occupation forces. In an indication of the intensity of the combat, Air Force and Navy aircraft were called in 10 times by marine commanders to drop 500-pound laser-guided bombs on alleged insurgent positions.

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http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/jun2004/fall-j29.shtml

if need be please excuse the source, I find it's good to read everything ya can.

[LittleApple81]

1. You are wrong: it is the spanking new Iraqi government. USA is only

"helping" the chocolaty sovereign government. See how it works? No murder, killing, torture, will touch Bush* anymore. It is the Iraqis, sir.

[sidpleasant]

2. Everything will be fine once we get Zarqawi

Once again the US has convinced itself that the solution to the Iraq insurgency is getting one guy. Our institutions are all run on a top - down structure and we persist in trying to force all terrorist and insurgencies into that model too. Last year the spin was "all the resistance will collapse once we get Saddam's sons", then it was "the resistance will collapse once we get Saddam", then it was "the resistance will end once we kill or capture Sadr", now it's "the resistance will collapse once we get Zarqawi".

[catmandu57]

3. We got our ass kicked there in April

I guess they're ready to head out into deep water again. To do what they want, to go in and get what they consider the source, they're going to have to get mean, meaner, and meanest.
When that happens, the whole damn country will erupt again, and this puppet govt. that was installed won't stand, and it sure won't make this three card montee game that snalring dick* and his puppet w* are playing on us work, people will find the red card.

[teryang]

4. Extremely unwise move

This will start a new upsurge in killing and set an even worse course for the future.