Marines Ready To Roll Into Fallujah And Kick Butt

[NATO AIR]

you gotta hate the mainstream media (EVERYBODY, even FOX)... there are times when profanity should be allowed and this is one of them. the marines' quotes get candy picked for cleanliness, hot damn... the best thing you usually hear from a group of marines is the grizzled staff sgt. who starts his quote with a big "f" and ends it with an "motherf***ers"

oh well. these guys are ready to go. goodluck and godspeed.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-marines1nov01,1,3953196.story

Marines Prepare for Large-Scale Fallouja Fight
Commanders await final orders and say they will abide by a settlement if a deal with the insurgents emerges. For now, U.S. troops ready their arms

By Patrick J. McDonnell, Times Staff Writer


NEAR FALLOUJA, Iraq — The Marines are getting ready for an all-out assault.

Troops are disassembling and cleaning their weapons, stocking up on supplies, studying tactics and participating in numerous drills. A sense of exhilaration is evident at dusty bases near Fallouja, a rebel stronghold now firmly in the cross hairs of the U.S. military and Iraqi interim government.

"I've been waiting for this fight ever since I joined the Marines," said Staff Sgt. Dennis Nash, an 11-year veteran whose platoon has been fine-tuning its skills. "This battle is going to be written about in history books…. The terrorists who want to fight us are in that city, and we're going to get 'em."

The day and night are filled with detonations: Mortars coming in, artillery fire going out, airstrikes on Fallouja, about three miles to the east.

Helicopter rotors rumble and F-16 fighter jets zoom overhead. The ground shakes, a slight wind ripples and mushroom clouds rise from massive controlled explosions of 2,000 pounds or more of captured weapon caches from Saddam Hussein's forces.

Nine Marines were killed and nine were wounded Saturday when insurgents ambushed a U.S. convoy on the outskirts of Fallouja. The car bomb attack was the deadliest incident involving U.S. troops in nearly nine months.

Marine commanders say they are still awaiting final orders, and will abide by a negotiated settlement if a deal emerges from talks between Fallouja representatives and Iraqi government officials.

In a news conference Sunday, interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi warned that the window was closing for reaching a negotiated resolution with the insurgents, calling it "the final phase" of efforts to avoid an attack.

Using much the same language as the Americans, he described Falloujans as victims of foreign fighters and eager to be rescued.

U.S. troops are openly skeptical of any settlement.

"The terrorists are barking up the wrong tree," said Cpl. Anibal Paz, a 21-year-old from Boston. "They're taking us on and they won't be able to back it up."

The upbeat mood contrasts with the generally spartan conditions here. Many Marines are billeted in bombed-out barracks that once housed fighters from an Iranian exile opposition group sponsored by Hussein. Arabic slogans meant to inspire the Iranians are still scrawled on many walls. Hussein's image stares down in one large room converted to a mess hall.

For many, there is a feeling that an attack would complete a job abandoned in April, when Marines were ordered to cut short an assault on Fallouja.

Commanders downplayed such motivation.

"It doesn't matter what happened in April," said Lt. Col. Gareth Brandl, who commands the 1st Battalion of the 8th Marine Regiment. "There's an enemy [in Fallouja], and my men are ready to go in and destroy the enemy."

Military officials will not say how many troops are preparing or when the assault is scheduled to begin. But the numbers of Marines this time is sure to exceed the fewer than 3,000 who participated in the April operation.

Joining the Marines will be Army units and an unknown number of Iraqi troops. Officials emphasized that any assault must be perceived as an Iraqi operation ordered by Allawi.

"Even more important than the battle is the aftermath," one senior commander said. "The Iraqis need to go in there like the American government goes into Florida after a hurricane. They need to be seen on the ground helping people."

Several thousand Iraqi police, national guardsmen and army personnel are said to be poised to move into Fallouja to help maintain order once the Marines have secured the city. Most are not from Fallouja, and thus are resistant to the intimidation that contributed to the failure of the Fallouja Brigade, the special unit of Iraqi forces set up in April to help maintain the peace. Many members turned out to be insurgents or sympathizers.

In addition, tens of millions of dollars in reconstruction funds may be spent on projects in Fallouja once the fighting stops. Marine lawyers are traveling with combat units, ready to handle compensation claims for battle damage.

But first, commanders say, the city must be wrested from criminals, religious militants, foreign fighters, including Jordanian-born militant Abu Musab Zarqawi, and nationalist elements such as former Iraqi army personnel still loyal to Hussein.

The insurgents have had six months to dig in. Some already may have slipped out of the city. But others seem ready for a battle.

"This is going to be our road to war," said Capt. Theodore Bethea II, commander of Charlie Company of the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, pointing to one of his amphibious tracked vehicles.

A steady drizzle Sunday had turned much of the fine sand here into mud that clung to Marines' boots like wet cement. But the troops practiced their "dismount" maneuvers without hesitation, crouching in the mud, rifles trained at a still-distant enemy.

Platoon leaders urged the troops to cut down on nonessential items in their backpacks — some as heavy as 70 pounds. In the house-to-house fighting likely in Fallouja, mobility will be essential.

They covered familiar territory: Watch out for your buddy. Mind the heavy fire likely to be coming from the Marines' armored vehicles as troops on foot approach buildings and insurgent positions. Pause for a second to get your bearings if necessary amid the chaos of battle.

"The Marines are motivated," said Gunnery Sgt. Doug Berry, who was helping oversee the drill. "The enemy has been asking for us, and we're ready to give 'em what they asked for."

Times staff writer Alissa J. Rubin in Baghdad contributed to this report.

 

[Fmr jarhead]

There is nothing romantic about the actions that are about to take place...it is going to be very difficult, and the boys who are going in, are going to need some tremendous support once they get the job done.

This could very well be the beginning of the end of our big military operations in Iraq. It could give the Iraqi army all the necessary motivation and training to "leapfrog" into a great number of other successes.

I will keep the light on for any of the Marines or other soldiers who are about to step in to this nightmare.

 

[NATO AIR]

There is nothing romantic about the actions that are about to take place...it is going to be very difficult, and the boys who are going in, are going to need some tremendous support once they get the job done.

This could very well be the beginning of the end of our big military operations in Iraq. It could give the Iraqi army all the necessary motivation and training to "leapfrog" into a great number of other successes.

I will keep the light on for any of the Marines or other soldiers who are about to step in to this nightmare.

let us hope so. this could be the one that breaks the insurgencies back. we'll see though. it will only get more and more personal for me as more and more marines i know from iwakuni and okinawa get deployed into iraq, so i'm hoping we get the job done soon so all the marines over there can be on their way back home.

 

[freeandfun1]

I will keep the light on for any of the Marines or other soldiers who are about to step in to this nightmare.

That's a great idea. Everybody needs to turn on their porchlights until this is over.

 

[Fmr jarhead]

You tell two friendsd, and I will do the same.

Porch lights even during the day.....show your support!

 

[freeandfun1]

You tell two friendsd, and I will do the same.

Porch lights even during the day.....show your support!

agreed. I will.

 

[NATO AIR]

agreed. I will.

i would too but there are no porchlights on the ship... battle lanterns maybe?

 

[freeandfun1]

i would too but there are no porchlights on the ship... battle lanterns maybe?

just say a prayer to whatever God you believe in. You don't have to ask God to "let them win" but you can pray for their safety.

 

[NATO AIR]

just say a prayer to whatever God you believe in. You don't have to ask God to "let them win" but you can pray for their safety.

i dunno, this is pure good vs. evil... marines vs. guys who blow innocent people up, guys who cut people's heads off, guys who rape and kidnap women.... hmm, on this time, i'm praying to God to be with the Marines and smite the monsters off the face of the earth.

sorry if that's bad, but this time, i'm talking like a nutjob.

 

[freeandfun1]

i dunno, this is pure good vs. evil... marines vs. guys who blow innocent people up, guys who cut people's heads off, guys who rape and kidnap women.... hmm, on this time, i'm praying to God to be with the Marines and smite the monsters off the face of the earth.

sorry if that's bad, but this time, i'm talking like a nutjob.

Hey, I am praying they kick some serious ass. I was just being politically correct!

 

[NATO AIR]

Hey, I am praying they kick some serious ass. I was just being politically correct!

most of the time, aren't i "anti-politically correct?"

i hate that PC shit.

 

[Fmr jarhead]

Jarheads don't need God to assist....they just need him/her/it to sort through the rubble and take care of the innocent souls in harm's way.

Jarheads expedite the meeting with allah and the virgins!

 

[-Cp]

Semper Fi


Gods Speed to our boys over there...

 

[drowe]

Marines have been trained well to look out for one another in combat. However, my porch-light is on and my prayers are well placed.

Semper Fidelis Devil Dogs!!!

(Marines were nicknamed Devil Dogs during WW I by a thoroughly upset German Commander after having his position overrun by the young and determined Marines.)

 

[Merlin1047]

"Marine commanders say they are still awaiting final orders, and will abide by a negotiated settlement if a deal emerges from talks between Fallouja representatives and Iraqi government officials. "

Dammit!!!!!! Not again.

 

[Semper Fi]

My eyes are filled with tears of pride. Red White and Blue Forever, good luck, Boys. I'll be there soon.

 

[wade]

There is nothing romantic about the actions that are about to take place...it is going to be very difficult, and the boys who are going in, are going to need some tremendous support once they get the job done.

This could very well be the beginning of the end of our big military operations in Iraq. It could give the Iraqi army all the necessary motivation and training to "leapfrog" into a great number of other successes.

I will keep the light on for any of the Marines or other soldiers who are about to step in to this nightmare.

I fear they will be fighting house to house to clear out a few hundred insurgents in a city holding some 50,000 "innocents". I suspect the ranking insurgents are already gone and those remaining intend to die in the fight. It is not going to be pretty.

As for the Iraqi Army - have you read or watched the news? In areas where they have "taken control" they are looting and pillaging. I think we are going to find the Iraqi forces we are supporting are as big a problem for us as the insurgency.