WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (AFP) - The US military was forced to abort its first attempt to retake the restive Iraqi city of Fallujah in April. Now it is counting on Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi to avoid a repeat as it sends troops back into the insurgent-held city.
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Monday he would be "amazed" if this offensive were not seen through to the end, emphasizing that Allawi has been deeply involved in the decision to assault the city.
"The subject was discussed extensively, and I detected no debate about whether or not it would be finished," Rumsfeld said.
"Indeed, I would say there was a good deal of discussion about the fact that this isn't a matter of two decisions here, one to start and second when you stop; that the decision to go included the decision to finish."
Allawi announced earlier Monday he had given the go-ahead to assault the city after weeks of fruitless negotiations with local leaders.
US marines last went into Fallujah April 5 after four US contractors were ambushed and killed while driving through the city.
But the images of US air strikes and reports of heavy civilian casualties fanned uprisings elsewhere in Iraq, outraged public opinion throughout the Arab world, and turned Fallujah into a symbol of resistance to the US-led occupation.
On April 30, US commanders abruptly halted their offensive, withdrew marines from the city, and agreed to turn over the security of the city to a local force led by a former Iraqi general that included insurgents.
But the city has since become a haven for foreign fighters and Iraqi insurgents plotting attacks throughout the Sunni heartland.
Rumsfeld blamed the decision to withdraw marines from the city in April on a divided 25-member Iraqi governing council and the vociferous opposition of UN envoy Lachdar Brahimi who was then in the process of forming a sovereign Iraqi government.
"And there was that dynamic of no leadership, no prime minister, if you will, who could make a decision," he said.
Mlitary officials said that the dynamic has changed now that Iraq has a sovereign government led by Allawi.
"The big difference between now and the last time that we did an operation in Fallujah, is the fact that the Iraqis are in charge and they are trying very hard to pull all of the Iraqis into the political process," said General George Casey, the US commander in Iraq.
Casey said the Iraqis have been involved in planning medical, humanitarian and reconstruction support for the offensive.
Pentagon officials said about 2,000 Iraqi troops were involved in the offensive.
The US military also has embedded reporters with military units to counter insurgent claims of civilian casualties.
The first objective of the offensive was the Fallujah General Hospital, both to assure medical care for civilians and because it was a source of what the US military contends was inflated reporting of civilian casualties the last time, officials said.
Reporters embedded with the Iraqi unit that seized the hospital will be able to get an accurate count of the dead and wounded brought to the hospital, they said.
By Casey's estimate as many as 100,000 people may still be in Fallujah, raising the risk of civilian casualties as marines fight it out with insurgents in difficult urban terrain.
Allawi has declared an indefinite curfew in the city and US forces have warned civilians to stay indoors and away from windows while the fighting is on.
11/09/2004 00:10 GMT - AFP