The Fallujeh Liberation

I haven't blogged for a while. Why? Too dang busy. But I'm back so lets get to it.

A history of Fallujeh at Benador Associates (hattip to GM)

Riverbend is horrified at the killing of a wounded innocent harmless TERRORIST by a Marine in Fallujeh. She doesn't call him a terrorist, I admit. You'd think he was just at that mosque waiting for the bus. As always with Riverbend, there's no consideration of the nature of people the Marines and ING are fighting. People who booby trap dead bodies and suicide bombers who pretend to be dead bodies.

While we're on the subject of killing wounded unarmed people, Riverbend seems to be unaware of the Iraqi policeman in Mosul who was dragged from his bed, dismembered, and his body strung up in the square.

Along the same lines, an AP photographer tells of his harrowing escape from Fallujeh. The thing about this guys "story" is that in reading it, he never seems to meet an insurgent. You'd think the Coalition and ING came to Fallujeh just for the opportunity to shoot at civilians.

NPR reports on the killing too. With remarkable balance (for them), they also report on the the attempts by Marines to help meet the basic needs of the citizens in Fallujeh, but the insurgents are making it difficult. One man they treated was shot in the hand by the insurgents for refusing to store weapons for them. The title of this report is U.S. Military Attempts to Help Fallujah Civilians

Here's some more insurgent tactics (poor things!):

In one of the most dramatic clashes of the day, snipers fired on U.S. and Iraqi troops from the minarets of the Khulafah Al Rashid mosque, the military said. Marines said the insurgents waved a white flag at one stage but then opened fire, BBC's embedded correspondent Paul Wood reported. The troops called in four precision airstrikes that destroyed the minarets but left the mosque standing.

While Riverbend likes to keep it fuzzy just on whose she is on in the Iraqi struggle, it is quite clear whose side American Soldier is on regarding the killing of the wounded man in Fallujeh.

The Times Online reports on the paradise (smirk) that was Fallujeh under the
rule of those poor persecuted insurgents that Riverbend pities so much.

Another poster in the ruins of the souk bears testament to the strict brand of Sunni Islam imposed by the council, fronted by hardline cleric Abdullah Junabi. The decree warns all women that they must cover up from head to toe outdoors, or face execution by the armed militants who controlled the streets.

Two female bodies found yesterday suggest such threats were far from idle. An Arab woman, in a violet nightdress, lay in a post-mortem embrace with a male corpse in the middle of the street. Both bodies had died from bullets to the head.
[...]
Just six metres away on the same street lay the decomposing corpse of a blonde-haired white woman, too disfigured for swift identification but presumed to be the body of one of the many foreign hostages kidnapped by the rebels. It was initially thought to be either the body of Margaret Hassan, the Dublin-born aid worker with dual British and Iraqi nationality who was kidnapped last month...

Whether it was her or not, it looks pretty clear now that she is dead. (While we're on the subject of killing unarmed people who never did anyone any harm.) These are the poor souls that Riverbend crys big crocodile tears for.

Meanwhile, the Christian Science Monitor reports on how two blood-thirsty Marines were killed when they held their fire on insurgents because they had taken a family hostage.

Saleem A.H. considers the thinking behind the insurgents.

Zeyad describes how as the insurgent stronghold in Fallujeh was shattered, Iraqis in other parts of Iraq are getting the shards. He also says:

The 'resistance' only started after the de-Ba'athification and thedisbanding of the army and security forces which tells us a lot about the mentality of the 'freedom fighters' who claim to be fighting to end occupation.

Kurdo reports that while insurgents took over the western Arab districts of Mosul, the Eastern Kurdish district was kept insurgent-free by demobilized PUK. He also reports that the Marines have retaken the police stations in Mosul.

Egyptian blogger GM speaks of the importance of getting the Sunnis to see a stake for themselves in Irag.

Kevin Sites offers a pictures of the taking of Fallujeh.

Raed repeats the rumor that that the Coalition is suffering more casualties than it is admitting to.

Buffbabe has returned home from service Iraq.

Abu Khaleel explains the meaning of the expressions Inshallah and Mashallah.