U.S. has no clear plan to aid Fallujah civilians

[maddezmom]

Sunday, November 14, 2004

FALLUJAH, Iraq — With the battle for Fallujah nearing an end, there are signs of an impending humanitarian crisis among the unknown number of civilians trapped in the city.

On Saturday, a four-vehicle convoy of the Iraqi Red Crescent carrying humanitarian assistance arrived in Fallujah after the Iraqi and American troops allowed them to pass.


But while camps for displaced civilians have been set up 4 miles north of Fallujah, U.S. forces appear to have no transportation or logistical plan to get civilians from the battle-scarred neighborhoods to the camp.

Despite the lack of any plan, U.S. forces have been telling civilians by loudspeaker to come out of their homes and promising them safety.

Since Friday morning, about 100 people in the Jolan neighborhood have come forward. Marines gave the civilians food, water and limited medical care on the spot, but they did not provide safe passage to the displaced-persons center.

~snip~
more: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/news/epaper/2...

[struggle4progress]

1. Plan? Plan? What kind of word is that? Did you just make that word up? eom

[Solitaire]

3. Why am I not surprised?

[alcuno]

2. US military reported today - no need for aid from outside sources.

Everything is under control so who needs a plan.

[Darranar]

4. That's pretty clear by now. The catastrophe that is this battle...

is not being reduced at all.

[whistle]

5. Fallujah civilians? There are no Fallujah civilians, only insurgents...

...and terrorists and the U.S. mission is to kill all insurgents and terrorists. What is the count now of dead Iraqi citizens since this war began in Iraq last year? I heard 100,000, maybe much more. The administration has not denied that number. The military says they do not count Iraqi dead and injured. The first targets when the siege of Fallujah began right after the election results were final were to capture the main hospital and disable the telephone system of Fallujah. That was so no medical services would be available to Fallujah residents left behind and no communication seeking help of any kind could go out from residences and businesses in the city. That is the extent of the plan.

[Minstrel Boy]

6. Mercy killing?

I think they're going with that.

[maddezmom]

10. not sure about that, but it's odd they are telling them to come out

fo their houses and then don't offer aid.

[bemildred]

7. U.S. Looks Ahead to City's Reconstruction

A few interesting bits, lots of info-babble about pie in the
sky by and by.

FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Even as small groups of guerrillas continued putting up fierce resistance here Sunday, U.S. commanders were preparing for the next phase of the operation: the complete reconstruction of a city that has been devastated in battle.

"It's a monumental task," conceded Marine Maj. Timothy Hanson, one of the first civil affairs officers on the scene to assess the scope of destruction in the city that had become the tactical and inspirational capital of the Iraqi insurgency.

Reconstruction of Fallujah is on hold as the fighting persists, especially in southern areas of the city, where some of the most die-hard guerrillas are reported to be making a last stand. Some have burrowed underground, prompting U.S. forces on Saturday to drop a 2,000-pound bomb -- the most powerful munition used here to day -- on a tunnel complex.

Marines and allied Iraqi troops sweeping through the southern neighborhoods have found numerous bomb-making factories and massive arms caches, underscoring Fallujah's role as a supply center for the insurgency nationwide, commanders say. Moving the vast storehouses of weapons and destroying them has proved a logistical challenge in this war-ravaged city.

LA Times

[Clarkie1]

14. Fallujah won't be the last city reduced to rubble in our continuining

efforts to win the hearts and mind of the Iraqi people and plant the seeds of democracy with the barrel of a gun.

This war is complete insanity.

[TXDemGal]

8. Let them eat rubble

says the Bush Regime.

[dethl]

9. No surprise...

Considering how the B*sh administration had no real plan to invade Iraq, its no surprise they have no plan to help out either.

[burrowowl]

11. Hey!

kill them all and you don't need no plan! <sarcasm? or truth>





Geneva Conventions! Geneva Conventions! Geneva Conventions!

Can I say how much I dislike Bu$h and Comapny!?!
Do not want keyboard to melt from invectives and ejaculations!

[rooboy]

12. The Warsaw Ghetto plan. n/t

[Clarkie1]

13. This kind of thing really pisses me off...complete lack of responsiblity

by those who have the responsibility to plan for every contingency.

I don't think anyone has a long range vision or plan who is involved in this operation.

[booksenkatz]

15. After the bombing and killing comes: the humiliation

I can't imagine how humiliated I would feel to have to come forward and receive drinking water from the men who just annihilated my children, incinerated my father, dismembered my husband, destroyed my home. Reduce my life to ashes and then dangle a jug of water in front me, knowing how desperately I need it.

My God.

[dbt]

16. "Mars Attacks" flashback #1:

"Do not run, we are your friends! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzap!" translates to:

Despite the lack of any plan, U.S. forces have been telling civilians by loudspeaker to come out of their homes and promising them safety.



dbt

[daa]

17. What kind of a plan can you have with

a smirking chimp in charge?

[leesa]

18. Why would we aid them, we aren't done killing them yet??!?