TC
10th April 2004, 09:28
U.S. seeks Fallujah cease-fire
Saturday, April 10, 2004 Posted: 0844 GMT (1644 HKT)
http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2004/WORLD/meast/04/10/iraq.main.int.ceasefire/story.fallen.jpg
BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The U.S.-led coalition is seeking a bilateral cease-fire with enemy combatants in the Sunni stronghold of Fallujah to take place Saturday, the U.S. military says.
The move is an effort to implement Iraqi control of the restive city, U.S. Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said.
"If the cease-fire holds, talks regarding the re-establishment of legitimate authority in Fallujah will begin," Kimmitt said.
"This action is being taken with the expectation that enemy elements in Fallujah will also honor the ceasefire. Coalition forces will always retain the inherent right of self defense."
The move comes a day after the coalition unilaterally halted its offensive to allow Iraqis to bury their dead and aid supplies to be brought into the region.
Kimmitt said the news conference Saturday morning was an attempt to get the message out to enemy combatants to establish a cease-fire at noon, about an hour after the conference.
Fallujah is currently under the domain of the U.S. 1st Marine Division.
On Friday, Iraqi Governing Council members met with Fallujah leaders and leadership of the anti-coalition forces to try to bring calm.
U.S. Marines were allowing only women and children to leave the city, while allowing humanitarian supplies, such as food and medical supplies, to enter.
But even as the offensive was paused, sporadic fighting continued that left at least one Marine dead. At one point Friday, a convoy of humanitarian supplies was attacked.
In another incident, the 1st Marine Division said at least 16 insurgents opened fire on Marines and retreated to a cave. An AC-130 gunship was called in to blast the cave, and two 500-pound, laser-guided bombs were dropped on it. "The bombs hit right on target," a Marine statement said.
"We will fight the enemy on our terms. May God help them when we're done with them," said Maj. Gen. James Mattis, the commanding general of the 1st Marine Division.
Fallujah is the city where four American contractors were killed last week, their bodies mutilated and dragged through the streets.
Separately, two U.S. soldiers and an unknown number of civilian contractors are unaccounted for after a fuel convoy was attacked Friday near Baghdad International Airport, a senior Pentagon official said.
Another 13th Corps Support Command soldier and an Iraqi driver were killed in the incident, and 12 people were wounded.
The contractors' nationality was not immediately known.
The official said "unaccounted for" means that U.S. troops are looking for the soldiers and contractors. The senior Pentagon official said a search is under way.
The four-truck convoy was hit with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades and exploded into flames, the official said.
Since the start of April, at least 51 coalition troops -- nearly all of them Americans -- have been killed, marking one of the bloodiest stretches of the war since the fall of Baghdad. To date, 753 coalition forces, including 650 U.S. troops, have died in the war.
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http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04....int.ceasefire/ (http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/10/iraq.main.int.ceasefire/)
Mark Kimmitt thinks the Fedayeen are going to be merciful after he killed almost 500 Fallujahan civilians and broke Paul Bremer's unilaterial cease fire on Friday? First the Americans set out to "pacify" Fallujah, get their butts kicked despite bombing it and surrounding it, then they initiate a unilaterial cease fire, violate that in a surprize attack but are still unable to "pacify" Fallujah, and now they want to negotiate?
One has to imagine that the American situation must be pretty grim to initiate bilateral negotiations withe Fedayeen in Fallujah. They wouldn't accept bilateral negotiations with People's Korea and they have the bomb, and they wouldn't accept even multi-lateral negotiations with the Iraqi government before the start of the war.
Saturday, April 10, 2004 Posted: 0844 GMT (1644 HKT)
http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2004/WORLD/meast/04/10/iraq.main.int.ceasefire/story.fallen.jpg
BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The U.S.-led coalition is seeking a bilateral cease-fire with enemy combatants in the Sunni stronghold of Fallujah to take place Saturday, the U.S. military says.
The move is an effort to implement Iraqi control of the restive city, U.S. Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said.
"If the cease-fire holds, talks regarding the re-establishment of legitimate authority in Fallujah will begin," Kimmitt said.
"This action is being taken with the expectation that enemy elements in Fallujah will also honor the ceasefire. Coalition forces will always retain the inherent right of self defense."
The move comes a day after the coalition unilaterally halted its offensive to allow Iraqis to bury their dead and aid supplies to be brought into the region.
Kimmitt said the news conference Saturday morning was an attempt to get the message out to enemy combatants to establish a cease-fire at noon, about an hour after the conference.
Fallujah is currently under the domain of the U.S. 1st Marine Division.
On Friday, Iraqi Governing Council members met with Fallujah leaders and leadership of the anti-coalition forces to try to bring calm.
U.S. Marines were allowing only women and children to leave the city, while allowing humanitarian supplies, such as food and medical supplies, to enter.
But even as the offensive was paused, sporadic fighting continued that left at least one Marine dead. At one point Friday, a convoy of humanitarian supplies was attacked.
In another incident, the 1st Marine Division said at least 16 insurgents opened fire on Marines and retreated to a cave. An AC-130 gunship was called in to blast the cave, and two 500-pound, laser-guided bombs were dropped on it. "The bombs hit right on target," a Marine statement said.
"We will fight the enemy on our terms. May God help them when we're done with them," said Maj. Gen. James Mattis, the commanding general of the 1st Marine Division.
Fallujah is the city where four American contractors were killed last week, their bodies mutilated and dragged through the streets.
Separately, two U.S. soldiers and an unknown number of civilian contractors are unaccounted for after a fuel convoy was attacked Friday near Baghdad International Airport, a senior Pentagon official said.
Another 13th Corps Support Command soldier and an Iraqi driver were killed in the incident, and 12 people were wounded.
The contractors' nationality was not immediately known.
The official said "unaccounted for" means that U.S. troops are looking for the soldiers and contractors. The senior Pentagon official said a search is under way.
The four-truck convoy was hit with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades and exploded into flames, the official said.
Since the start of April, at least 51 coalition troops -- nearly all of them Americans -- have been killed, marking one of the bloodiest stretches of the war since the fall of Baghdad. To date, 753 coalition forces, including 650 U.S. troops, have died in the war.
------------------------------------------------------------------
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04....int.ceasefire/ (http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/10/iraq.main.int.ceasefire/)
Mark Kimmitt thinks the Fedayeen are going to be merciful after he killed almost 500 Fallujahan civilians and broke Paul Bremer's unilaterial cease fire on Friday? First the Americans set out to "pacify" Fallujah, get their butts kicked despite bombing it and surrounding it, then they initiate a unilaterial cease fire, violate that in a surprize attack but are still unable to "pacify" Fallujah, and now they want to negotiate?
One has to imagine that the American situation must be pretty grim to initiate bilateral negotiations withe Fedayeen in Fallujah. They wouldn't accept bilateral negotiations with People's Korea and they have the bomb, and they wouldn't accept even multi-lateral negotiations with the Iraqi government before the start of the war.