U.S. to Ease Falluja Siege, Iraq Death Toll Leaps
FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. Marines agreed to ease their grip on
Falluja Thursday, striking a deal to entrust security to former Iraqi
army officers in hope of ending a month-long siege which has cost
hundreds of lives.
But new explosions as U.S. jets pounded three areas in the volatile
city and sketchy details from U.S. officers and local police made it
unclear whether the battle with an estimated 2,000 Sunni Muslim
insurgents was indeed ending.
On one of the bloodiest days of the bloodiest month for U.S. troops
in Iraq (news - web sites) -- 10 soldiers were killed, including
eight by a car bomb -- any progress toward a peaceful settlement
would be welcome news in Washington.
Previous deals in Falluja, notably a cease-fire, have broken down and
heavy U.S. air strikes this week and some tough talk by President
Bush (news - web sites) seemed to herald a possible all-out assault.
But Marines and police said troops would now start withdrawing from
their siege lines.
Falluja police chief Sabar al-Janabi told Reuters the withdrawal
would be completed by Friday. He said U.S. officers seemed to have
backed away from insistence on conducting joint patrols with Iraqi
forces in the city, where U.S. commanders say about 200 foreign
Islamic militants may also be operating.
A Marine spokesman at Falluja confirmed U.S. forces were pulling back
from some areas under a security deal agreed with former officers of
the Iraqi army.
Thousands of people have fled Falluja, where doctors say 600 died
during a first U.S. offensive three weeks ago in retaliation for the
killing of four American contractors.
A Reuters journalist watched U.S. Marines open fire on a minibus at a
checkpoint on the outskirts, setting the vehicle ablaze. Up to four
civilians died, a policeman said.
EIGHT SOLDIERS KILLED
Eight soldiers of the 1st Armored Division were killed and four
wounded by a car bomb near Mahmudiya, just south of Baghdad, a U.S.
military spokeswoman said, making at least 10 soldiers dead in three
attacks Thursday.
That took to at least 125 the number of U.S. service personnel killed
in action this month, far outnumbering the toll in the three weeks it
took to dash to Baghdad and topple Saddam a year ago. In all, 534
have been killed since the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.
Faced with such violence and armed defiance in two key towns as
Washington prepares to return sovereignty to Iraqis, Bush had given
commanders a free hand: "Our military commanders will take whatever
actions necessary to secure Falluja," he said.
Mounting losses and rising costs may be eroding his support for
November's presidential election, polls indicated.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) appealed to Bush
to show restraint, saying bloodshed could turn Iraqis against the
occupying forces just as the United Nations (news - web sites) is
working with Washington to restore an Iraqi government on June 30.
The Pentagon (news - web sites) has ordered dozens of tanks and other
armored vehicles to areas of Sunni Muslim insurgency centered on
Falluja, 30 miles west of Baghdad. Its forces are also squeezing a
Shi'ite militia holding Najaf, to the south.
TANKS ON WAY
Commanders around Falluja and elsewhere in the restive "Sunni
triangle" west and north of Baghdad have appealed for more firepower.
The Pentagon, in a reversal of policy, said it was sending dozens of
tanks and other armored vehicles to Iraq.
About two dozen M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks are headed for the
Marines, whose area of operations includes Falluja, said a U.S.
defense official. A similar number was headed for the First Infantry
Division, based at Tikrit, Saddam's hometown.
Around the holy city of Najaf, U.S. forces set up roadblocks,
tightening a squeeze on the Mehdi Army militia loyal to anti-American
Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who has taken refuge among the
shrines.
U.S. commanders believe they can isolate Sadr and turn factional
differences among Shi'ite leaders to their advantage.
Sadr is popular with young, disaffected Shi'ites impatient for the
power their 60 percent majority could give them after decades of
oppression. But he is wanted over the murder of a rival cleric in
Najaf last year and has plenty of Shi'ite foes.
In other violence Thursday, a South African civilian was killed in a
drive-by shooting near oil company offices in the southern city of
Basra. The head of security for the vital northern oil fields was
wounded in Kirkuk. (Additional reporting by Akram Saleh in Falluja,
Ghaith Abdul-Ahad in Najaf and Will Dunham in Washington)
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