American sources claim fighting is moderate to light, casualties low and movement swift. Non-American sources report heavy fighting, broad devastation and many casualties: particularly amongst civilians. The cautious response to this rift is to pull that old cliche, "the truth is somewhere in the middle" out of my back pocket. But I don't believe that for moment. The Americans' advance has undoubtedly been swift (they have tank and air power after all) but eventually an advancing force must halt to assess its situation and claim ground. This is when the rules change. Even from mainstream, "embedded" American sources, there are clues that "rapid advance" and firm control are two very different things. NPR's Ann Garrels, during a report on tonight's broadcast said that although the Marines she was with did indeed blast their way into town at great speed, their very long supply lines were coming under intense and relentless attack.
It is all, of course, entirely pointless which makes the scale of the crime even greater (if that's possible).
.d.
...
Mosques bombed as fighting rages in Falluja
Wednesday 10 November 2004 7:28 AM GMT
The US says its forces have encountered stiff resistance
Almost half of the mosques in the Iraqi town of Falluja have been destroyed, with US warplanes launching air strikes and fierce fighting on the ground continuing.
An Iraqi journalist told Aljazeera that US forces on Wednesday resumed attacks on the city, targeting Julan in the north-west to al-Jughaivi in the north-east. Fadil al-Badrani said there are an estimated 120 mosques in the city.
"Almost half of the city's mosques have been destroyed after being targeted by US air and tank strikes," al-Badrani added.
Fierce clashes also erupted between armed fighters as the US forces thrust deeper into the city in the early hours, he said.
Machinegun, mortar and rocket fire shook the city as planes made several bombing runs over Julan district in the space of 15 minutes, a Reuters reporter said.
Smoke was rising from houses just beyond Falluja's captured rail station, where marines and Iraqi forces have a base.
Marines said their opponents showed no signs of giving up, even though US forces penetrated to the centre of the city, west of Baghdad, after an offensive launched on Monday night.
In-depth organisation
A tank platoon that moved along Falluja's main street saw fighters who had just come under mortar fire climb on to rooftops and fire rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and machineguns.
"There are lots of them. We took heavy fire," Gunnery Sergeant Ishmail Castillo told Reuters. "They opened up on my tank. They don't look like they are going to cave in."
US troops encountered fierce resistance in the city Castillo said his tank had killed six fighters and that two marines were wounded in fighting. "One of the marines was hit in the head by RPG shrapnel," he said.
"They hit us from one area and then another right afterwards. There is in-depth organisation. There were small-arms attacks all night," he said. Al-Badrani said US forces had taken some casualties. "Two US military tanks have been so far destroyed in Julan neighbourhood, where the most violent clashes are taking place," he said.
"Three US armoured vehicles have been also destroyed in other parts of the city. The clashes are very violent. Fighters have showed up from other neighbourhoods and streets the US forces are unfamiliar with.
"US forces entered central Falluja city at around 12:00 (Iraqi local time) but were fiercely attacked by the fighters," al-Badrani said.
"They withdrew from the area after half an hour, heading for their positions in the northern parts of the city," he added.
Residents told al-Badrani the crews of two US tanks deserted their vehicles in Julan, leaving them to be seized by fighters.
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full at -
<http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/6E722418-6B50-4D2A-93E1-77C9A8FC6DAC.htm
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