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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Iraq Rebel Cities to Be Retaken in October - Minister |
| 2004-09-29 |
| U.S. and Iraqi forces will retake rebel-held cities in Iraq in October, Defense Minister Hazim al-Shalaan told Reuters on Wednesday. "You wait and see what we are going to do. We are going to take all these cities in October," Shalaan said. The western cities of Falluja and Ramadi, as well as some parts of Baghdad and the town of Samarra, north of the capital, are effectively controlled by insurgents. The U.S. military has previously said it will retake these areas by the end of the year so elections can go ahead as scheduled in January. U.S. commanders say they are waiting until Iraqi forces are large enough and sufficiently trained for the offensive. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #13 You'll know when and where to look. Just look for where they are setting up refugee camps within walking distance of the town, and a hard perimeter for US troops. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2004-09-30 12:03:19 AM |
| #12 And it could all be information. He who defends everything defends nothing. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-09-29 6:21:11 PM |
| #11 "It reads like a plan to me. It tells them where, when, who and why." But not how. |
| Posted by: docob 2004-09-29 6:14:57 PM |
| #10 You wait and see what we are going to do. We are going to take all these cities in October, 1. he didnt say US troops. He could mean Iraqi forces. He could mean a political deal, a la Samarra. Or some combination. Theres no news here, other than the timing. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-09-29 4:40:29 PM |
| #9 Jacob: It reads like a plan to me. It tells them where, when, who and why. The high-level where, when, who and why topics addressed here are journalistic questions about the big picture, not battle plans. Battle plans involve the route of the attack, the exact timing of the attack, the pace of the attack, the placement, types and numbers of the units used in the attack, the objective of the attack (unconditional victory or an advance conditional on low US casualties). General statements about an attack will not help the terrorists. What he said was too general to be of operational use. These guys know American forces are going to go after them. The question is what they'll do - fight in place, or scatter like guerrillas in the Baghdad area? Coalition troops will find out when it happens. And the guerrillas will know about the timing of the attack - US troops will have additional supply shipments and ammunition all stacked up for the operation, and move into positions indicating they are about to move. There's just no hiding the movements of a large uniformed force. The guerrillas undoubtedly have eyes all over the place. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2004-09-29 4:36:49 PM |
| #8 It reads like a plan to me. It tells them where, when, who and why. |
| Posted by: Jacob 2004-09-29 3:08:36 PM |
| #7 BAR: Atta boy, tell them the plan, you dumbass. That's not a plan - it's a goal. And the insurgents know about this goal - they've been waiting for the hammer to fall for a while now. The recent bombs against terrorist targets are hopefully helping to convince the area's civilians to leave. If not, well - they'll have to suffer the consequences from stray munitions. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2004-09-29 3:05:12 PM |
| #6 Nothing dumb about stating a strategic objective. The Marines can clean up Fallujah and Ramadi in less than two weeks if given permission and diplomatic cover. This looks to be the first phase of providing the cover. If you're still in Fallujah in October, you're a target. |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-09-29 2:46:23 PM |
| #5 knock, knock: "Trick or treat." kaBOOM. |
| Posted by: sludj 2004-09-29 1:36:06 PM |
| #4 this just sounds like typical Arab bluster to me. They have such a wonderful penchant for exaggeration. |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-09-29 1:09:29 PM |
| #3 Hell, tell them and then make it happen. Tactical surprise is damn near impossible anyway... maybe a little local surprised dialed in with trash talk may make the zits jump about. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-09-29 1:08:34 PM |
| #2 The western cities of Falluja and Ramadi, as well as some parts of Baghdad and the town of Samarra, north of the capital, are effectively controlled by insurgents. Reuters. Samarra has been retaken, though there are still insurgents there, and coalition and Iraqi forces are this day attacking in part of Baghdad where the insurgents are strong. Is Al-Shalaan a dumb ass? I dont know, i think we could come up with some really stupid things Rummy has said over the last couple of years. I can only presume hes responding to his own domestic political pressures. Or perhaps signaling civilians to leave Fallujah and Ramadi before the attack takes place. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-09-29 12:40:54 PM |
| #1 Atta boy, tell them the plan, you dumbass. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-09-29 12:25:47 PM |