Iraq War 2, Phase 2; 1 yr after toppling of statue

FRI 09 APR 04. 1010 ZULU. 468 NET. 0610 EDT.

Baghdad:

US vehicles with loudspeakers are circling the square where Saddam's statue was, warning that anyone seen with a firearm will be shot on sight.

Looks like they plan to prevent any negative grandstanding on the anniversary of the statue coming down.

Fallujah:

At 0800Z, U.S. Marines halted offensive operations in Fallujah on Friday to allow talks with a delegation of sheiks from the city, a stronghold of Sunni insurgents that has been besieged by American forces this week. Women, children, and the elderly are being allowed to leave. The US has offered to meet with leaders in the city, but as of this post, there has been no response. (At least 4 Marines and 280 Iraqis have died since Operation "Vigilant Resolve" began Monday.)

At 1000Z, Fox News was getting conflicting reports from military commanders on whether operations had resumed. The highest ranking commander said no.

To the south, operation "Resolute Sword" has shown some success against the al-Sadr's "Mahdi Army."

U.S.-led coalition forces have retaken control of the southern Iraqi city of Kut (after Ukrainian troops in Kut abandoned their base Wednesday in the face of mortar fire and gun battles).

The militia still has control over the southern city of Kufa and the central part of Najaf. Police in the cities have abandoned their stations or stood aside as the gunmen roam the streets.

A US convoy was attacked at Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad. Nine people died.

AP photo

No updates on the hostages at this hour. Japan's Prime Minister Minister Junichiro Koizumi says Japan will not give in to the "cowardly" demands of the captors.

ACE comments in the continuation (optional reading)

If you ask me:

I hope this is the Insurgents Last Stand and once Coalition forces put it down, things will calm down, and we'll be able to turn over power on 30 JUN.

My biggest concern is the apparent lack of preparation of the ICDC and the police to maintain peace.

Some Iraqis are saying they view the Coalition [and the US in particular] as merely an occupier now, and the media is quoting them, but the last poll I've seen showed 78% of Iraqis are glad Saddam is gone and want to give democracy and capitalism a chance. We'll have to see how that number is trending.

The captors of the three Japanese may be bluffing, but I'd still like to see a rescue operation before the deadline.