- Mujahideen spokesman, Abu Saad Al-Delaimy: "America
is having a news media crisis: If they control 90% or more of Fallujah
as they allege, I challenge them to allow world news satellite media to
see for themselves."
-
- Mujahideen Advisory Council's official spokesman, Abu
Saad Al-Delaimy insisted that the American military standing in Fallujah
has remained unchanged for three days in a row, contrary to American allegations.
-
- In a telephone interview with Al-Jazeera, Abu Saad indicated
that American occupiers could not yet come near Al-Golan area, their presence
and control is limited to some main streets and is constantly supported
by aerial bombardment. "If by 'pockets of resistance' Americans mean:
Al-Askari, Al-Shuhada, Industry, Al-Ghughaifi, Al-Wahda, and the Al-Jumhoriah
areas, all those neighborhoods are inside Fallujah and not outside, so,
how are they 'controlling' Fallujah?"
-
- "The Americans have prematurely announced the conclusion
of their operation in Fallujah and by doing so, they have created a news
media crisis for themselves because they are still being hammered from
inside by the Mujahideen, and they are under siege and face constant rockets
and mortar shelling from outside. They are having a major credibility issue
here," said Abu Saad.
-
- Abu Saad also described American allegations of killing
1000 Mujahideen as totally false. He said only 100 Mujahideen have been
martyred, and the rest are civilian residents of Fallujah.
-
- Written Statement Received
-
- In a written communiqué received by Mafkarat al-Islam
late on Sunday night, the Consultative Council of the Mujahideen of Fallujah
described the nature of the powerful explosion that rocked part of the
city around sunset Sunday. The blast was the result of an Ababil rocket
fired by the Resistance at the Hajji Dahham Ice Factory in the industrial
zone of the city. The explosion destroyed a number of American tanks and
armored vehicles
-
- The communiqué also refuted claims that some sort
of negotiations had begun with the US occupation forces. It also discounted
claims that a cease-fire with the occupation troops was a possibility.
No such thing could take place so long as the US operations around the
environs of the city were continuing.
-
- The communiqué also stated that there was no truth
in the statements made by some people speaking on behalf of the city's
residents concerning the situation in the city. It stressed that there
were no American tanks in any of Fallujah's streets other than a small
number that are encircled on some streets. The US presence on the main
streets in the city consists only of American snipers in specific locations
on ath-Tharthar Street. The morale of the Mujahideen in Fallujah is at
its highest possible level. "The American strike," the communiqué
said, "has only increased us in firmness, defiance, and resilience
in the path of Truth."
-
- The Mafkarat al-Islam correspondent in Fallujah reported
that on Sunday the city experienced relative calm, as fighting between
the invaders and the Resistance was on a very limited scale.
-
- Mujahideen Council Releases Casualty Numbers
-
- The office of Mafkarat al-Islam in Fallujah has received
a communiqué issued by the Advisory Council of Fallujah Mujahideen
detailing the results of battles in the city. Below is a run down on enemy
casualties in personnel and war equipment:
-
- Killed:
-
- 400 Americans
- 140 Allawi Army
-
- Captured:
-
- 136 Americans
- 15 Brits
- 123 Allawi Army
-
- Military Equipment:
-
- 2 Copters
- 11 F-16
- 1 Chinook
- 5 Reconnaissance plane
- 7 Abrahams Tanks
-
- In addition to specific numbers listed above, Mujahideen
have destroyed a large number of tanks and other mechanized vehicle. It
is also worth noting that a Chinook aircraft carries 60 soldiers.
-
- There appears to be discrepancy between numbers of casualties
listed in this communiqué and numbers circulated by different Mujahideen
units. Observers attributed the discrepancy to poor communications of news
reporting from different units as opposed to very well co-ordinated military
communications. Observers expressed surprise about the low (conservative)
number of soldiers killed, especially in light of known operations. For
example, the attack on the ice factory, which was described by many as
similar to a small nuclear bomb had to have destroyed a large number of
tanks and other vehicles and with that goes a large number of soldiers
as well. Knowing how many soldiers are normally on board a tank in combat
operation, one can use simple arithmetic to figure out the number of personnel
killed, which will equate to a much higher number than that listed above.
(JUS)
-
- Muhammad Abu Nasr, Free Arab Voice, contributed to this
report.
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