Posted on 06/15/2003 9:33:47 AM PDT by blam
US forces raid flashpoint town
Falluja has seen many clashes between US troops and Iraqis
US forces in Iraq have mounted a big operation to try to rein in the activities of militiamen still loyal to the ousted Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein. About 1,300 soldiers from the US army's 3rd Infantry Division backed by tanks and helicopters raided the town of Falluja, west of Baghdad.
The troops were acting on intelligence that Iraqi militia fighters are based in the town and that weapons are being stockpiled there for use against US forces.
But three hours later they withdrew having made seven arrests.
Later in the day, US troops returned with medical and school supplies, as well as toys, in an effort to win over the local population which has complained of heavy-handedness by the troops.
But the mayor of the town told the BBC the raid had been carried out quietly - he believed the US forces in the area were starting to behave in a more sensitive manner.
The campaign - dubbed Operation Desert Scorpion - began on Sunday and will involve a series of sweeps throughout Iraq, said US army spokesman John Morgan.
"It's a combat operation to defeat the remaining pockets of resistance that are delaying the transition to a peaceful and stable Iraq," Mr Morgan said, quoted by the Associated Press news agency.
In other developments:
US announces that the former commander of the Iraqi air force, Hamid Raja Shalah al-Tikriti was now in US custody.
Hundreds of people in the city of Basra demonstrate in support of demands that the British army should allow Iraqis to run Iraq's southern capital
The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers, says Saddam Hussein is probably alive and is being sought by US forces. 'Saddam better'
One of the houses raided in Falluja belongs to Jassim Ali Mohammed, 60, whose two sons were led away handcuffed.
He told AP that the soldiers also took documents and some children's school books.
"Even Saddam never did a thing like this to us. We got rid of one problem and now we're having a bigger one," Mr Mohammed said.
Coalition forces have detained more than half of the 55 "most wanted"
The operation began hours after the expiry of a deadline for Iraqis to hand in heavy weapons.
Only a small quantity of weapons was reportedly surrendered.
Falluja, which lies 60 kilometres (37 miles) west of the capital, Baghdad, was a stronghold of President Saddam Hussein and is regarded as a focal point of Iraqi resistance.
It is a predominantly Sunni Muslim community that benefited greatly from industrial projects under Saddam Hussein.
Some local people said they would rather have Saddam back, says the BBC's Jim Muir, who visited the city after the US raid.
Falluja has seen numerous clashes between American forces and local people since the war officially ended, with many deaths on both sides.
In Iraq as a whole, more than 40 US troops have been killed since 1 May, when President George W Bush declared the war effectively over.
The raid on Falluja follows last week's Operation Peninsula Strike - raids by US forces against targets north and west of Baghdad which led to the deaths of up to 100 Iraqis.
Ah but maybe they would have a change of heart if they were made to go to the mass graves to help the people dig up and identify their relatives. Perhaps they should see the cruelty of Saddam first hand.
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