Are we yet prepared to admit there's no ceasefire?
U.S. Forces Keep Pressure on Rebels in Falluja and Najaf
By EDWARD WONG
Published: April 28, 2004
BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 28 — The American military made an aggressive push in its two-front war in Iraq today, continuing an aerial bombardment of guerilla positions in the volatile city of Falluja while tightening its grip on roads surrounding the southern holy city of Najaf, where a rebel Shiite cleric has sought refuge.
American forces appeared to be getting increasing help from a shadowy new vigilante group in Najaf that might be responsible for the deaths of seven armed supporters of Moktada al-Sadr, the rebel cleric, according to residents of the city. An American commander said `there may be some validity` to reports of attacks by the vigilantes. [P6: Special forces + media control = vigilantes]
A resident of the nearby town of Kufa calling a relative in Baghdad said members of the Mahdi Army were staging fake funerals in the town so they could use coffins to carry surface-to-air missiles into the golden-domed mosque in Kufa, where Mr. Sadr preaches every Friday. The resident reported the existence of the vigilante group, known as the Thulfikar Army, earlier this week. Occupation officials have warned that the Mahdi Army is stockpiling weapons in mosques, shrines and schools.
The fierce fighting in Falluja showed once again that the "ceasefire" marines and insurgents were supposed to be honoring was one in name only. An American commander said the definition of ceasefire was flexible, possibly explaining why there had been so much shooting and bombardment in the last two days.
"Although this is a ceasefire, they're not purely defensive rules of engagement," Maj. Gen. John Sattler, director of operations for the United States Central Command, said in a conference call from Qatar. "In other words, if in fact the insurgent forces start to make attempts to set up weapons systems, to re-supply units that are within the town, the marines have it within their rights to go in and take pre-emptive measures, i.e., strike against these units."
