[R-G] Fwd: Leaked classified U.S intelligence report into Fallujah assult

[Anthony Fenton]

	From: 	  julian at wikileaks.org
	Subject: 	Leaked classified U.S intelligence report into Fallujah  
assult
	Date: 	December 24, 2007 2:56:09 PM PST (CA)


FYI: Wikileaks release classified intelligence report into the battle  
of Fallujah I

http://wikileaks.org/wiki/ 
Al_Jazeera_and_Abu_Ghraib_scuttled_US_war_in_Fallujah

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld launched the failed  
April 2004 assault on the Iraqi town of Fallujah before marines were  
ready because it had become "a symbol of resistance that dominated  
international headlines", and uncontrolled media eventually destroyed  
the operation -- according to a classified U.S. intelligence report  
into the defeat.

"During the first week of April, insurgents invited a reporter from  
Al Jazeera, Ahmed Mansour, and his film crew into Fallujah where they  
filmed scenes of dead babies from the hospital, presumably killed by  
Coalition air strikes. Comparisons were made to the Palestinian  
Intifada. Children were shown bespattered with blood; mothers were  
shown screaming and mourning day after day."

Coalition air strikes were conducted during the three week cease- 
fire, which was a "bit of a misnomer" and the Abu Ghraib prisoner  
abuse scandal contributed to the politically driven final peace  
settlement. The settlement left Coalition Provisional Chief Paul  
Bremer "furious".

By the end of April, 600-700 Iraqis and 18 marines had been killed  
inside the town with 62 marines killed in the broader operational  
area and 565 wounded in action.

Fallujah's 2,000 defenders were diverse but united to oppose the U.S.  
offensive. They included former regime soldiers, "nationalists, local  
Islamic extremists, foreign fighters and criminals" together  
comprising not so much a military organization, but "an evil Rotary  
club".

[....]

Julian.