Sure, the Americans have detained over a thousand people it calls insurgents
and have killed hundreds more, but it is alleged that many among those are
simply civilians. It would be amusing, if not so tragic, that it was only after
bombarding the town for days that the US admitted that they never thought the
insurgent leaders were there in the first place, and would have escaped anyway,
with the forewarning of the attack which was given.
It is hard to see what success there has been in Fallujah. In terms of
destruction and death; it's been massive. In terms of capturing insurgents the
figures are less convincing. With insurgency leaders displaced but not removed,
the threat from them continues.
The US Army estimate that 250,000 people fled Fallujah in the face of the
oncoming assault, but none are allowed to return to what's left of their homes
until the army says it is safe to do so.
Sewage and rabid animals are reported to fill the streets, presenting serious
health threats, while the Red Cross is kept waiting for US forces to allow it
to restore the city's water supply and help identify the hundreds of corpses
strewn in the streerts and collected in houses and shops now serving as morgues.
It seems that, once again, the US have taken major military action without an
'exit plan'. This time leaving hundreds of thousands of entirely innocent
civilians, women and children, freezing in makeshift encampments while their
dead lie rotting in the streets, picked upon by wild dogs which are being shot
by US troops for fear they'll spread rabies.
The US acts swiftly to bring devastation but is far slower when it comes to
cleaning up the carnage it creates. It makes one wonder if this isn't some
bizarre but entirely intentional collective punishment; throwing in some
extra suffering, just for good measure.
It is well known that some people think Iraqis are sub-human and it
logically follows that some troops in Iraq feel that way, but, as the
occupying party, the US has a duty to the civilian population. America
doesn't however appear to take its responsibilities that seriously though, so
it's no surprise the US can't offer any timetable for the return of Fallujah's
residents; they don't seem to really care.
In the battle to win hearts and minds, over a quarter of a million potential
supporters have probably been lost forever. It is hard to see how US military
action can be seen to be resolving conflict when its very aplication appears
designed to promote or provoke more of it, and greater support for it.
So still the fighting goes on within Fallujah, with running battles breaking out
between US troops and insurgents. Troops are still being killed in a town which
they find impossible to secure, and the bombs continue to rain down in an
apparantly never ending stream.
In the aftermath of the initial assaults, we were confidently told that, "the
victory in Fallujah has broken the back of the insurgents", but obviously that's
not so; another premature "Mission Accomplished". Publicity and propaganda over
truth.
The 'most powerful army on Earth', so many US troops committed to destroying
the insurgents that UK forces were needed to fill in the gaps left
elsewhere, bomb run after bomb run, have all failed to quench the rebellion
against the illegal occupiers. Evan napalm-like incendiary bombs reported to
have been used have failed to be effective.
The Iraqi government promised the displaced of Fallujah that they would be back
in their city within days, but still the US Army prevents them returning, and
can give no timetable for such an actuality.
The tally of American dead and injured continues to escalate, with deaths in
Fallujah and across Iraq a regular occurance. The action against Fallujah has
caused massive devastation and problems for its residents but has done little
to quell insurgency and revolt.
Neither the battle nor the war has been won. Instead, we are left with an
image of a failed military offensive, dead civilians littering the streets,
graphic evidence of war crime as a captured prisoner is murdered, and the
reported use of banned weapons.
That is 'victory' in Iraq ?
