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thedrifter
11-20-06, 05:11 PM
November 20, 2006
Fallujah now peaceful haven, Marine commander says

By Gordon Lubold
Staff writer

The Iraqi city of Fallujah, which two years ago was the site of one of the fiercest battles between insurgents and Americans, has become a stabilized safe haven.

In fact, the city, termed “a gated community” by one of the Marine commanders responsible for it, is receiving as many as 150 people per day seeking to escape the ongoing violence in Baghdad.

“While the fleeing of Sunni citizens from Baghdad is in itself a tragedy, the fact that Fallujah has become the overwhelming destination of choice for these seeking refuge and peace is a great testament to the work done here in Fallujah by the coalition forces, the Iraqi forces and our local government,” said Marine Col. Larry Nicholson, commander of Regimental Combat Team 5, in a recent briefing with reporters.

Nicholson said he estimates about 150 residents of Baghdad leave the capital for Fallujah each day. His description of Fallujah as “a gated community” stems from the fact that a series of checkpoints effectively keep insurgents out of the city.

Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., will soon head to Anbar province to help stem the violence there. But there are no plans for the Marines to go to Fallujah, Nicholson said.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi government has devoted about $70 million toward rebuilding Fallujah, and Nicholson said officials are trying to identify more money, about another $30 million, for more projects.

As another gauge of progress, Nicholson said that when he left Fallujah in March 2005, about 3,000 U.S. Marines and soldiers occupied the city to maintain control. Now that number has fallen to about 300.

“The key to our success in Fallujah has been a thematic approach,” he said. “We focus on “team Fallujah,” meaning that as the Marines, the Iraqi army, the Fallujah police and the local citizens work together, nothing can stop us, no one can beat us.”

That said, there is still a pressing need for more Iraqi soldiers and police, according to Nicholson.

“The ones we have are doing great, but we just don’t have enough,” he said.

Ellie

yellowwing
11-20-06, 06:55 PM
Outstanding news! Its sounds like our Marine Corps training doctrine done on a city scale, Tear it down and build it back up right!