COMMAND POST - Insurgents Fighting From Mosques
By Dan Spencer on Fallujah
Agence France-Presse reports that insurgents in Fallujah sought refuge in several central mosques: “They are trading fire in the centre of Fallujah. They are firing from several mosques,” said a US marine officer. Unwilling to damage the buildings, marines held positions outside. “We are seeing suspicious activities inside mosques but we are not moving in. We provide security around the site and wait for Iraqi security forces to move in,” said marine spokesman Lieutenent Lyle Gilbert. From California Yankee....
USMC : Fallujah under full control "Within 48 hours"
By Alan Brain on Fallujah
“Under Full Control” does not mean “safe” of course. From the Hobart Mercury : US Marines expect to take complete control of the Iraqi rebel bastion of Fallujah within 48 hours if their assault continues on course, a US military officer said today.”If everything goes as planned we will take full control of the city in the next 48 hours,” the officer said. He said the marines would need up to a week to make the northeast corner of Fallujah safe “and at least 10 days to clear the city.” […] The north-western neighbourhood of Jolan, the historic warren of narrow alleys where Sunni militants rigged booby traps, is now “secured and under control,” he said, although marines would continue house to house sweeps in search of fighters and weapons today. The USMC is also engaging in PsyOps : A psychological operations unit broadcast announcements in Arabic meant to draw out gunmen. An Iraqi translator from the group said through a loudspeaker: “Brave terrorists, I am waiting here for the brave terrorists. Come and kill us. Plant small bombs on roadsides. Attention, attention, terrorists of Fallujah.” […] US and Iraqi troops captured two key landmarks yesterday - a mosque and neighbouring convention centre that insurgents used for launching attacks, according to a Los Angeles Times reporter embedded with US forces.”I’m surprised how quickly (resistance) broke and how quickly they ran away, a force of foreign fighters who were supposed to fight to the death,” Lieutenant-Colonel Pete Newell, a battalion commander in the 1st Infantry Division, told CNN....
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