Articles 10.27.2004

The NY Times reports from Camp Fallujah that a military offensive in Fallujah and Ramadi "is probably inevitable".

Some key points:
- any major operation in Fallujah would also involve concurrent operations in Ramadi and along the Syrian border. "This expanded set of combat operations reflects a growing consensus among American military commanders and Iraqi government officials that the insurgencies in the two nearby cities are linked and must be quelled at the same time."
- the timing and decision to carry out any operations is up to Prime Minister Allawi.
- officials estimate an offensive could last from several days to two weeks.

A separate AP report also discusses signs of an imminent offensive in Ramadi and Fallujah. The basis for the argument is the similarities to the Najaf operations in August - particularly a notable increase in airstrikes, the reinforcement of troops around Fallujah, and the redeployment of British troops to Baghdad to free up U.S. Forces.
=============================
The San Francisco Chronicle has a story on the insurgency in Iraq. The main argument is that Iraqi nationalism is a motivation for many, but not all, of the insurgents. Other reports typically identify insurgents as religious fundamentalists, supporters of the old regime, or foreign-based terrorists.
=============================
An AP report indicates that "Insurgents ambushed two U.S. Army convoys near the central Iraq town of Ramadi [on 10.26.2004], hitting the convoys with separate roadside bomb attacks, but no U.S. soldiers were hurt, the military said."