Some 700 Iraqis killed, 1250 wounded in Falouja only in one week, Syria and Iran are accused of works that does not help stability
Iraq-USA, Politics, 4/13/2004

The Iraqi fighters in Falouja announced that fighting will be resumed at 4 p.m. ( Iraq local time) yesterday if the American snipers will not withdraw from the city, according to a journalist who attended a meeting for the leaders of the fighters and men of religion.

A Sheikh at the Grand mosque in Falouja said in conclusion of a meeting between leaders of the Sunni fighters and men of religion in the city that "if all American snipers in Falouja and its neighborhood would have left the city by 4 p.m. today ( yesterday) we will make a general attack." Al-Sheikh indicated that 60 persons were killed from al-Falouja since the implementation of the truce of Sunday.

In a statement, the American army announced that six marines were killed in al-Anbar province to the west of Baghdad. The statement said that three soldiers of the first contingent of the naval army were killed by the bullets of the Iraqi fighters in al-Anbar province. He added that "other two ( the pilots) whose plane was downed ( Apache) were killed and the third died the same day because of his wounds."

Meantime, the assistant commander of the military operations in Iraq Gen, Mark Kemet announced yesterday the killing of 700 Iraqis and wounding of 1250 since the besiege of the city on April 5, and that 70 military men were killed from the occupation forces since the beginning of April.

Kemet said talking to the press in Baghdad that " occupation losses reached some 70 soldiers killed in the battle since the first of April and the losses in the lines of the Iraqi fighters reached ( ten folds) of this figure. He said he does not have a credible calculation on losses among civilians.

Meantime, the commander of the American central leadership Gen. John Abizaid said that Syria and Iran "are carrying acts which do not help" the conditions in Iraq. He added in a press conference that there "are indicators from the intelligence departments about Iranian activities that are not helpful, besides that there are acts which are also not helpful from Syria's side."

Lt. Gen Ricardo Sanchaise, the commander of the American forces in Iraq said in a press conference in the USA that the " mission of the American forces is wether to kill or detain Muqtada al-Sader." Meanwhile, the Falouja negotiations were resumed on Monday despite clashes during night time that violated the unofficial truce in the Iraqi city where 700 Iraqis were killed during one week of clashes between the American naval troops and Iraqi resistance.

Iraqi fighters killed or captured several foreigners but released several hostages. In Karbala the American planes yesterday dropped paper strips asking the people of the city to keep away from bases of the coalition forces.

The paper strips which were written in Arabic said that the coalition forces do not want to damage the Iraqis but will retaliate of attacked, adding they have enough striking force and are able to defend itself. Armed Shiite are controlling several area in the central of Karbala and supporters for al-Sader clashed with Bulgarian and Polish forces in the outskirts of the city despite the fact that they had stopped clashes by the beginning of the week upon the influx of the Shiite on the city to celebrate the( 40th day) of the Imam al-Hussein anniversary.

However, fighters holding one American civilian named Thomas Hamel as a hostage said they will execute him if the US will not lift its siege from the city.

Previous Stories:
  Several Marines injured, one Apache downed west Baghdad. A fragile truce, Kerbalaa weeps al-Hussein, chanted for resistance   (4/12/2004)
  Holding hostages in Iraq escalates pressure on the coalition   (4/12/2004)
  Falouja is calm   (4/12/2004)

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