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| Iraq-Jordan |
| U.S.: Different tactics used in latest Iraqi offensive |
| 2004-11-25 |
| An ongoing U.S.-Iraq campaign against insurgents south of Baghdad will be very different from the recent offensive in Falluja, a U.S. Marine spokesman said Wednesday. "You don't have 5,000 troops sweeping across the Iraqi countryside," said Capt. David Nevers of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. "What we're doing here is developing intelligence patiently and persistently, going after targets in a very focused way." Iraqi SWAT forces, backed by elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, launched the operation Tuesday. It involves more than 5,000 Iraqi, U.S. and British forces in Iraq's Babil province. "In the coming days -- and already we've begun -- Iraqi security forces, U.S. Marines, their British allies will conduct a multitude of operations aimed at capturing or killing those who are violently opposing Iraq's path to peace and democracy and freedom," Nevers said. The operation will involve "a lot of precision raids and house-to-house searches," Nevers said. "The insurgents are not going to know when we're coming," he said. There were increased attacks in northern Babil before the Falluja offensive that U.S. and Iraqi forces attributed in part to insurgents who had fled from Falluja. Minister: No guarantee Iraq's interim defense minister was quoted by an Arabic-language newspaper Tuesday as saying he cannot guarantee the safety of voters or candidates in the country's elections scheduled for January 30. "You ask me as defense minister, will I be able to provide safety for candidates and voters? I say no, I have no plan until now," Hazem Sha'alan was quoted as saying by the London, England-based newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat. "The Iraqi citizen doesn't know what elections are and doesn't know who the candidates are or who the voter is." Sha'alan, a 57-year-old tribal leader with a background in economics and real estate, said he planned to run as an independent candidate in the elections for a transitional national assembly. In the interview, he also referred to a "vile coalition" inside interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's government that he said is obstructing efforts to fund the new Iraqi army and pay pensions to former soldiers. Other developments Representatives of the International Red |
| Posted by:God Save The World |
| #1 What we’re doing here is developing intelligence patiently and persistently, going after targets in a very focused way." Translation: We got their names last week, we are now in ass kicking phase. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-11-25 8:17:17 AM |