In April, the Marines attacked insurgent bases in Fallujah. Now the Marine General in charge says the decision to go in was
political:
The outgoing U.S. Marine Corps general in charge of western Iraq said Sunday he opposed a Marine assault on militants in the volatile city of Fallujah in April and the subsequent decision to withdraw from the city and turn over control to a security force of former Iraqi soldiers... Some senior U.S. officials in Iraq have said the command originated in the White House
The battle for Fallujah may well have marked the point at which we lost this war. A lot of good men were chewed up on our side, and a lot of civilians were caught in the crossfire. According to the
Washington Post, it also was the point at which we lost our Iraqi security forces:
The guardsmen in Saqlawiya, who come from the nearby city of Fallujah, were not always this pathetic. Early this year, their battalion was lauded by the U.S. military for repelling insurgent attacks on the mayor's office and police headquarters in Fallujah. They were, as one Army officer put it in March, "a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dark place."
The battalion disintegrated in April because of an order by the White House and the Pentagon to have the Marines lay siege to Fallujah -- a decision top Marine officials now acknowledge was a profound mistake. As Marines advanced into the city, the guardsmen were put in an untenable position: Either flee, or join the Marines in fighting Iraqi neighbors -- and risk violent retribution. The guardsmen fled.
Then, in a spectacular flipflop, the Marines were ordered to withdraw, turning the 'defense' of the city over to a general from Sadam's army.
It was widely reported at the time that the White House didn't want military operations getting in the way of the handover of sovereignty in June. This was top-to-bottom a political decision:
U.S. military officials in Iraq said that because of political sensitivities, overall policy decisions about the standoff in Fallujah are being made by the White House, and Marine commanders have been reluctant to make public pronouncements about what should be done. But privately, many say they believe the only way to eliminate the insurgency is through a series of large raids.
That political decision had consequences. We sent a lot of soldiers into harm's way, and then we didn't give them a chance to accomplish their mission. And because of that, Fallujahs have multiplied all across Iraq.
What follows is a list of those who died in a campaign that started with a political decision and ended with a political decision. It's not a comprehensive list - you'll notice that the word "Fallujah" appears nowhere in the military listing of deaths for the month of April. You'll have to draw your own conclusions as to why that might be.
But perhaps Senator Kerry could ask President Bush: "Mr. President, how many more men and women are you asking to die for this mistake?"
- Pfc. Eric A. Ayon, 26, of Arleta, Calif., died from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Pfc. Chance R. Phelps, 19, of Clifton, Colo., died from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Cpl. Michael R. Speer, 24, of Davenport, Iowa, died from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Cpl. Daniel R. Amaya, 22, of Odessa, Texas, died from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray, 19, of Patoka, Ill., died from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- 1st Lt. Oscar Jimenez, 34, of San Diego, died due to enemy fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Pfc. George D. Torres, 23, of Long Beach, Calif., died due to enemy fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Sgt. Maj. Michael B. Stack, 48, of Lake City, S.C., died in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, while his unit was conducting combat operations.
- Lance Cpl. Brad S. Shuder, 21, of El Dorado, Calif., died from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Lance Cpl. Robert P. Zurheide Jr., 20, of Tucson, Ariz., died from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Cpl. Kevin T. Kolm, 23, of Hicksville, N.Y., died from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Pvt. Noah L. Boye, 21, of Grand Island, Neb., died from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Sgt. Christopher Ramirez, 34, of McAllen, Texas, died in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, from injuries sustained during combat operations.
- Capt. Richard J. Gannon II, 31, of Escondido, Calif., died due to injuries received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Lance Cpl. Michael J. Smith Jr., 21, of Jefferson, Ohio, died due to injuries received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Lance Cpl. Ruben Valdez Jr., 21, of San Diego, Texas, died due to injuries received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Lance Cpl. Gary F. VanLeuven, 20, of Klamath Falls, Ore., died due to injuries received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Cpl. Christopher A. Gibson, 23, of Simi Valley, Calif., died due to injuries received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Cpl. Jason L. Dunham, 22, of Allegany, N.Y., died due to injuries received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Lance Cpl. Aaron C. Austin, 21, of Sunray, Texas, died due to hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Cpl. Scott M. Vincent, 21, of Bokoshe, Okla., died due to hostile action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Cpl. Joshua S. Wilfong, 22, of Walker, W.Va., died due to hostile action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.