U.S. Ready To 'Finish' Najaf Fight-

[bigtree]

Security Forces Prepare To Launch Major Assault

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The U.S. military said U.S. and Iraqi security forces in Najaf were preparing to launch a major assault against the Mahdi Army militia loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

"Iraqi and U.S. forces are making final preparations as we get ready to finish this fight that the Muqtada militia started," said Col. Anthony M. Haslam, commanding officer of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
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On Tuesday, U.S. helicopter gunships pummeled the multistory hotel with rockets, missiles and 30 mm cannons, killing 20 people, the military said, in one of the closest strikes yet to the shrine.
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Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Iraq's interim vice president, called on the U.S. troops to withdraw from Najaf. "Only Iraqi forces should stay in Najaf, these forces should be responsible for security and should save Najaf from this phenomenon of killing," al-Jaafari told Arab TV network Al-Jazeera from London on Wednesday.

Full story: http://news4colorado.com/topstories/topstories_story_224114406.html


Najaf has a population of about 560,000. There will undoubtably be innocent civilians among those killed. As the attacks will further alienate the population there and harden opposition to the imposed rulers, the killings will encourage more 'insurgent' activity which is in part, an expression of liberty and self-determination which we disregard as a threat to our consolidation of power.

This fight will only be 'finished' if we withdraw our forces. That would, unfortunately leave the interim government vulnerable to the vengence of the population. It's unbelievable that the governing junta would openly support this planned offensive and trust that the U.S. will protect them against the certain backlash.

Scorched earth attacks on holy sites and populations only create the pretext for more violent reprisals and foster the recruitment of more Iraqis into resistance forces. This is the most recent example of Kerry's assertion that we are creating more terrorists with our actions.

St.Augustine was quoted (Contra Faust. xxii, 74): "The passion for inflicting harm, the cruel thirst for vengeance, an unpacific and relentless spirit, the fever of revolt, the lust of power, and such like things, all these are rightly condemned in war."

[cheezus]

1. weren't we going to do this before?

but then we ran away and gave control to one of saddam's generals?

was that najaf?

[TrustingDog]

2. that was fallujah.

[bigtree]

3. Here's where we were told we stood on 4/1/2003

Strategic Najaf 'very much contained'
By Steven Komarow and Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY

SOUTH OF NAJAF, Iraq — U.S. Army forces pushed into central Najaf on Tuesday, and military officials said they were close to securing the strategically important city. Najaf is also home to some of Iraq's holiest Shiite Muslim shrines.

U.S. bombs and artillery leveled the local headquarters of Saddam's ruling Baath Party, and that of his paramilitary Fedayeen loyalists, in the days before ground troops entered Najaf.

"There were thousands of people in the streets," said Maj. Gen. David Petraeus, the 101st Airborne commander. He said the welcome heartened U.S. troops. He called Najaf "very much contained."
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Col. Greg Gass, commander of the 101st Airborne's aviation brigade, said U.S. forces "have made quite a bit of headway in the past several days, and it is coming very close to being secure. It's a matter of days before it will be secure."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-04-01-najaf-usat_x.htm

Then recently:

Iraqi Politicians Secure Deal to End Najaf Crisis
Guardian Newspapers, 5/27/2004

A violent two-month standoff between the US military and the radical Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr edged towards resolution yesterday, with both sides making concessions to defuse the crisis.

Under the deal, Mr Sadr pledged to pull his gunmen out of the holy city of Najaf, while American troops agreed to "suspend offensive operations", though they will continue patrols in the city until the Iraqi police can take over.

The deal was finally struck at 3am yesterday by a group of prominent Iraqi politicians who call themselves the "Shia House".

Mr Sadr plunged America's occupation into crisis last month when he led uprisings in Baghdad and across southern Iraq. In a letter yesterday he signed up to a four-point deal in which he promised that his militia, the Mehdi Army, would leave Najaf and allow the police to take over security. In return, he expected US forces to leave the city.
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/5-27-2004-54752.asp

[JohnyCanuck]

4. Attack postponed

According to this NY Times story the attack was called off just before it started.

AJAF, Iraq, Aug. 11 — After spending today preparing for a major attack against insurgents loyal to the rebel Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sar, American forces called off the attack as it was about to begin.

Officers here described the reversal as a postponement and said the attack could still be carried out at any time. The abrupt reversal came after a day of hawkish announcements by American officers here.

American forces have been close to capturing or killing Mr. Sadr before, but have repeatedly backed off. This time American commanders had vowed to crush his guerrillas, known as the Mahdi Army.

www.nytimes.com/2004/08/11/international/middleeast/11CND-IRAQ.html?hp

[bigtree]

5. We're still killing Iraqis to get at al- Sadr

Over a 24-hour period that ended in the morning, 57 Iraqis in other al-Sadr strongholds were killed in clashes.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/08/11/iraq.main/index.html

[Junkdrawer]

6. On CNN: 74% think we should attack Najaf's sacred sites...

:scared:


http://www.cnn.com/POLLSERVER/results/12647.content.html