Post by Gorf on Jul 8, 2004 6:38:20 GMT -5
"American and Iraqi officials say that a decision in April to pull back American forces from Falluja inadvertently created a safe haven for terrorists and insurgents there. But officials are reluctant to send American troops back into the city for fear of touching off another uprising.
The officials say they are unsure how to proceed, but agree they merely postponed the problem when the Americans halted an attack in April, brokering a deal to keep Americans out of Falluja and allow local Iraqis to police the city instead.
Iraqi and American officials say they would prefer to re-enter the city with a sizable force of Iraqi soldiers, perhaps backed up by Americans. But they concede that an Iraqi force capable of mounting an effective assault on Falluja, a city of 250,000 people, is months or even years away."
...
"One measure of how little control the Iraqi government has over Falluja came last month, during a meeting between Mr. Bremer and Abu Karim Barias, the governor of Anbar Province, which includes Falluja. Mr. Barias had driven through Falluja to meet Mr. Bremer at an American base. His convoy was ambushed on the way.
"There is no government there," Mr. Barias told Mr. Bremer. "They will not allow any person in there who is associated with the government. It's the mujahedeen shura that is in control of that city," a reference to a council of militants.
Mr. Barias went on to say that his entire administration, which is based in nearby Ramadi, was penetrated by double agents working for the insurgents.
"We don't know our friends from our enemies, in fact," Mr. Barias said. "Any discussion we have with them is immediately relayed to the mujahedeen."
Afterward, as Mr. Barias prepared to leave, he was asked to describe the situation in Falluja.
"It's simple," he said. "It's a terrorist hotbed.""
Page 1:
www.nytimes.com/2004/07/08/international/middleeast/08fall.html?ex=1089950400
Page 2:
www.nytimes.com/2004/07/08/international/middleeast/08fall.html?pagewanted=2&ex=1089950400
The officials say they are unsure how to proceed, but agree they merely postponed the problem when the Americans halted an attack in April, brokering a deal to keep Americans out of Falluja and allow local Iraqis to police the city instead.
Iraqi and American officials say they would prefer to re-enter the city with a sizable force of Iraqi soldiers, perhaps backed up by Americans. But they concede that an Iraqi force capable of mounting an effective assault on Falluja, a city of 250,000 people, is months or even years away."
...
"One measure of how little control the Iraqi government has over Falluja came last month, during a meeting between Mr. Bremer and Abu Karim Barias, the governor of Anbar Province, which includes Falluja. Mr. Barias had driven through Falluja to meet Mr. Bremer at an American base. His convoy was ambushed on the way.
"There is no government there," Mr. Barias told Mr. Bremer. "They will not allow any person in there who is associated with the government. It's the mujahedeen shura that is in control of that city," a reference to a council of militants.
Mr. Barias went on to say that his entire administration, which is based in nearby Ramadi, was penetrated by double agents working for the insurgents.
"We don't know our friends from our enemies, in fact," Mr. Barias said. "Any discussion we have with them is immediately relayed to the mujahedeen."
Afterward, as Mr. Barias prepared to leave, he was asked to describe the situation in Falluja.
"It's simple," he said. "It's a terrorist hotbed.""
Page 1:
www.nytimes.com/2004/07/08/international/middleeast/08fall.html?ex=1089950400
Page 2:
www.nytimes.com/2004/07/08/international/middleeast/08fall.html?pagewanted=2&ex=1089950400