INSTEAD OF A STOP SIGN DO THEY HOLD UP A BULLSEYE?:

Three dead in Fallujah raid (The Australian, 17oct04)

THREE people were killed in US air raids on the Iraqi rebel bastion of Fallujah today, hospital staff said.

"We have received three dead," said Dr Ali Hayad.

The latest raids targeted the districts of Jolan and Askari. Fallujah has been sealed off by US and Iraqi troops since Thursday.

The US army confirmed a raid "against an armed Al Zarqawi terrorist checkpoint in the Jolan district of the city of Fallujah" about 10.45pm local time (4.45am AEST).

"The terrorists operating this illegal checkpoint were heavily armed and were using the blockade to disrupt traffic, intimidate and harass local citizens, and interrogate and detain local civilians.

"The checkpoint ... was considered key to the Zarqawi networks ability to control movement into and out of the city."

US air strikes have regularly targeted suspected safehouses of foreign fighter Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi, Iraq's most-wanted man.

Today's military statement said that in a previous strike on Thursday the multi-national forces in Iraq had destroyed two other major checkpoints.

If you can't ever appear out in the open you can't win.

Posted by Orrin Judd at October 17, 2004 3:28 PM