Briefing on US battle with militants in Fallujah

(9 Apr 2004) 1. Wide of military convoy 2. SOUNDBITE (English) General John Abizaid, Commander US Central Command: "Well I think we need to characterise it properly, it''s not a cessation of military action, it is a cessation of offensive action which is very different. We certainly will take whatever military action we need to defend ourselves and to prevent the enemy from taking advantage there, but it''s clear that there are good reasons for humanitarian action to take place in Fallujah that would allow us to hold off on some of the robust offensive operations we''ve got planned." 3. General Abizaid walking 4. SOUNDBITE (English) General John Abizaid, Commander US Central Command: "The fact that Fallujah has become a hotbed of anti coalition activity and anti Iraqi governing council activity, I think is not surprising, being as it was a military and special organisation centre for the previous regime. And we just have failed to receive the amount of cooperation that we would hope for from the Iraqis in this area and they have chosen to work only not against us, but the future of Iraq, and brought us to this sad stage of affairs and so we will eliminate them from the area and the marines are doing a great job. " 5. General Abizaid talking in Arabic to a US soldier 6. SOUNDBITE (English) Col John Coleman, Chief of Staff, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force: " Again, operations have not ceased at all, and they never do in these circumstances, defense is continuous and defensive positions can always be better and we will continue to improve those in this temporary cessation of offensive operations and we will do prudent measures that will allow us immediately to transition back to major combat offensive operations if they should prove necessary. So we will take full advantage of the opportunity we have right now to do so and be ready for what may come, a very short order if the political discourse fails. " 7. Mid shot of military convoy STORYLINE: The top US commander of the Iraq war said on Friday there are "robust" military operations planned for Fallujah once the "cessation of offensive action" comes to an end. General John Abizaid, who is Commander of the US Central Command, reiterated that the coalition forces had ceased "offensive action" but not overall military action, for "good reasons". Abizaid added however, that forces could take "whatever military action we need to defend ourselves." US Colonel John Coleman of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force also said a transition to "major combat offensive operations" could be implemented immediately, if required. Iraq''s top US administrator, Paul Bremer, said on Friday the halt aimed to allow negotiations with city leaders and the entry of humanitarian aid and to let beleaguered residents deal with their dead after five days of bloody street fighting against Sunni insurgents. Marines were called a halt to offensive operations at noon (0800 GMT). Only 90 minutes later, Lt. Col. Brennan Byrne, commander of the 1st Battalion 5th Marine Regiment, said he had permission to resume offensive operations. For hours afterwards, there was sporadic shooting in Fallujah. Marines remained hunkered down around the city and in an industrial zone just inside, without entering residential neighborhoods, though there was fighting in the morning before the halt was called around a mosque that has been the center of battles for three days straight. The siege of Fallujah aims to do away with a bastion of the guerrillas after four American civilians were killed and mutilated last month, but resistance has proved stiff. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...