- The Consultative Council of Mujahideen of al-Fallujah
issued a communiqué concerning the nature and results of the fighting
that took place between the occupation and the Resistance in the city between
6 November 2004 and 2 January 2005. The communiqué, a copy of which
was obtained by Mafkarat al-Islam, gave reasons for the withdrawal of Resistance
forces from the northern neighborhoods of the city and from the al-Askari
neighborhood in the city's eastern section. It also gave a count of US
and British losses as well as those suffered by the Resistance.
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- The withdrawal of Iraqi Resistance forces from parts
of the city, the communiqué stated, was part of a governing military
plan that aimed at drawing occupation troops into narrow alleys and streets
in the city, where tanks and armored vehicles could be surrounded. The
aim was to avert heavy US aerial bombing of al-Fallujah. Such bombing had
made it impossible for Resistance fighters to remain on open ground on
the edges of the city. On the other hand, it was also easier to attack
US tanks and armored vehicles when they were inside the city, where it
was also possible for Iraqi sharp shooters to pick off US troops.
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- The communiqué said that no Resistance fighter
had retreated or run from battle. Rather, the Resistance had adopted a
kind of hit and run tactic wherein the "run was designed to draw US
troops after the fighters, where they could be "hit yet again, this
time with deadly effect.
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- The communiqué gave a final count of occupation
forces, losses up to 2 January 2005 as follows:
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- 1. More than 6,500 US troops killed and 700 more wounded.
- 2. More than 425 British troops killed and about 325
wounded.
- 3. A large number of Americans and Britons captured,
some of whom were killed during escape attempts.
- 4. More than 1,350 tanks and armored vehicles destroyed.
- 5. About 800 Humvees and personnel carriers destroyed.
- 6. 41 aircraft, including three fighter planes, shot
down.
- 7. 200 US light and medium weapons seized, as well as
hundreds of scopes, bayonets, compasses, bullet-proof vests, and classified
maps of occupation positions in al-Anbar Province.
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- As to Resistance losses, the communiqué stated
that 721 Resistance fighters had been killed, including fraternal Arab
fighters from Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Qatar,
Kuwait, Algeria, and the Sudan. In addition, 215 others had been wounded,
but most of them were now in good health and were once again under arms.
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- The communiqué criticized and condemned al-Jazeera
satellite TV which it called 'Silent TV,' and the al-Arabiyah satellite
TV station which it said preferred to cover the fighting from the side
of the enemy rather than from the side of the Resistance. The same goes
for all the other stations, the communiqué said. Not only that,
but those stations broadcast images of the suffering of the people of al-Fallujah,
the tears of its children in the refugee camps, the laments of its women
over the loss of their children, but filed to show any scenes of the heroism
of al-Fallujah's Resistance fighters such as would arouse a sense of pride
in their children. Those stations, in fact became mouthpieces broadcasting
what America wanted and desired. The only exception were certain internet
websites, the communiqué said, that covered the heroism and triumphs
of the Resistance.
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- The communiqué promised that the information offices
of the Resistance organizations would be distributing pictures and films
showing the Resistance fighting against the occupation forces. It also
promised that there would be more Resistance operations on every inch of
the Iraqi territory in coming days.
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