IRAQ: FALLUJAH

Guardian: The Specter Of Another Bloodbath Over Fallujah

As the British government prepares to send its soldiers north to free up the US Army to attack Fallujah, it is necessary to focus on what this coming onslaught will mean for the city and its people. Fallujah is already now being bombed daily, as it is softened up for the long-awaited siege. It has been a grueling year for its people. First, they were occupied by the US army's 82nd Airborne, an incompetent group of louts whose idea of cultural sensitivity was kicking a door down instead of blowing it up. Within eight months of the invasion, the 82nd had killed about 100 civilians in the area and lost control of Fallujah, leaving it to the US Marines to try and retake the city last April. After killing about 600 civilians, the Marines retreated, leaving the city in the hands of 18 armed groups, including tribesmen, Islamists, Baathists, former criminals and an assortment of non-Iraqi Arab fighters said to be led by the Jordanian, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi.