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Editorial 
<http://www.khaleejtimes.com/subSectionhome.asp?section=editorial&subsection=editorial> 


   Battle of Fallujah


   15 November 2004

   AFTER five days of fierce fighting in Fallujah, the US and Iraqi
   forces have declared that the battle is almost over, barring a few
   pockets of resistance. US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said
   US forces are in control of much of Fallujah now. This must surely
   be a big relief for the coalition forces who were perhaps expecting
   the worst.

   Since Fallujah had been a thorn in the flesh of the forces, they
   expected resistance to be much stronger there, and were geared for a
   longer battle. Many feared getting mired down in street battles and
   urban guerilla warfare, some predicting the worst as in Vietnam.
   Thankfully, that has not happened. However, the US-led forces are in
   no mood to celebrate the victory, as earlier, when Iraq was declared
   safe, some of the worst fighting took place, in addition to general
   lawlessness. So, there’s a subdued tone in Rumsfeld’s statements
   now, as he said that some areas are still difficult and the
   operation is far from complete. In fact, Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad
   Allawi was more outspoken when he declared “a clear-cut victory over
   insurgents and terrorists.”

   The battle of Fallujah can only be seen as one step towards
   establishing the rule of law in Iraq. Much of the country is now in
   a shambles, and there’s a lot to be done before the January
   elections — most important being instilling in Iraqis a faith in
   democracy. Most Iraqis have lost all hope of a quick return to
   normalcy. They had welcomed the Americans as their liberators when
   the US forces overthrew Saddam, but soon that joy turned to despair
   when total anarchy prevailed in the country. The Americans tried
   their best to restore order, but were constrained by several factors
   — Fallujah being on top. The insurgents had made Fallujah their home
   and terrorised the populace. Scared residents dared not incur their
   wrath by becoming informers to the so-called occupying forces. The
   Americans realised this and knew that if Fallujah was left alone, it
   would become a festering wound and infect the whole country. So, it
   had to be sanitised. The battle had to be taken there. Without that,
   elections would be meaningless.

   Of course, nothing comes without a price, and the Iraqis have been
   paying too heavy a price for securing their liberty. In any urban
   warfare, unfortunately, civilians are as much at risk as the
   battling forces. Hopefully, the Iraqis will not have to see too many
   dark days ahead. Afghanistan has already shown the way.