NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / World

US marines close to withdrawing from Fallujah

30 Apr, 2004 01:06 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

1.00pm - By PATRICK COCKBURN in Baghdad

US Marine commanders and former Iraqi generals appeared close to agreeing a compromise in Fallujah last night under which the Marines would withdraw and be replaced in the besieged city by Iraqi soldiers.

Elsewhere in Iraq ten US soldiers were killed,
eight of them by a single bomb south of Baghdad, bringing the number of US troops killed in action in April to 126. This is higher than the number killed in the war last year.

Lt Col Brennan Byrne announced a deal under which the Marines would withdraw from around Fallujah, after besieging it for almost a month, and be replaced by a 1,100-strong Iraqi army force led by a former general from the old Iraqi army of Saddam Hussein. Col Brennan said the agreement was 'tentative' and 'finer points' had still to be worked out.

Going by the details so far revealed the deal is a climb-down by the US which had previously demanded that heavy weapons and resistance fighters be handed over. It is not clear if it will be accepted by the insurgents who do not appear to have an overall commander but consist of fragmented groups.

Under the plan the Marines would withdraw and be replaced by the Fallujah Protection Army led by a General Salah, who is believed to be Lt Gen Salah Abboud al-Jabbouri, a native of Fallujah. Under Saddam Hussein he was governor of Anbar province to which Fallujah belongs.

The new Iraqi force will "have certain advantages we don't," said Col Byrne.

"One, they're Iraqi. Two, they're local. So, they know the populace, they know the terrain."

It is not clear who will make up the new force. The new Iraqi army currently has five battalions, one of which mutinied earlier this month when ordered to move to Fallujah.

More remarkably a marine officer said that some of the fighters in Fallujah were expected to be part of this new force.

The siege of Fallujah, a city of 300,000, began on 5 April and rapidly turned into a political disaster for the US.

The resistance in the city became a symbol for Iraqi nationalists and television pictures of the bombardment of Fallujah, broadcast across the world, underlined how far President George W Bush was mistaken when he announced that major combat in Iraq was over on 1 May last year.

American officials were last night showing signs of uncertainty as to the future of their forces in Fallujah.

In Washington the Pentagon spokesman said "there is no deal that we are aware of."

But at the same time Marines started to demolish earth banks they had built for defensive purposes during the fighting. In other parts of Fallujah skirmishing continued.

Col Byrne said "the plan is that the whole of Fallujah will be under the control of the FPA." He called the deal "an Iraqi solution to an Iraqi problem."

If the deal does stick then the siege will have proved a serious setback for the US which set out to avenge the death of four private security men, shot and hacked to death on 31 March.

But the siege of the town, starting on 5 April, was rapidly denounced in Iraq and the rest of the world as smacking of collective punishment with heavy civilian casualties. Several hundred civilians and fighters died. Eight US Marines were killed.

"I can't believe what we have gone through," said Hassan al-Halbousi, a 60-year-old who stayed in his house to look after it.

"The bombing has terrified me. No one is in the streets. Even the dogs in the city were hunting us because they had no food."

Several Iraqis were killed at a checkpoint out of the town yesterday when their minibus was riddled by US troops.

Elsewhere in Iraq the US suffered losses from car bombs and roadside bombs.
Such devices have inflicted far more casualties than firefights.

Eight soldiers from the 1st Armoured Division were killed in Mahmoudiyah, a town south of Baghdad where there have been many attacks.

- INDEPENDENT

Herald Feature: Iraq

Related information and links

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from World

World

Rain hits NZ, Trump in Texas, more children bombed in Gaza | NZ Herald News Update: July 12, 2025

Premium
World

I lost half my body on 7/7 – but every day I remind myself how lucky I am

11 Jul 07:00 PM
World

Missing German backpacker found alive in Aussie outback

11 Jul 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from World

Rain hits NZ, Trump in Texas, more children bombed in Gaza | NZ Herald News Update: July 12, 2025

Rain hits NZ, Trump in Texas, more children bombed in Gaza | NZ Herald News Update: July 12, 2025

The rain has well and truly arrived, slamming the Nelson Tasman area yesterday and this morning. US President Trump has landed in Texas; following the devastating floods.

Premium
I lost half my body on 7/7 – but every day I remind myself how lucky I am

I lost half my body on 7/7 – but every day I remind myself how lucky I am

11 Jul 07:00 PM
Missing German backpacker found alive in Aussie outback

Missing German backpacker found alive in Aussie outback

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Israeli strikes in Gaza kill six, including five at school shelter

Israeli strikes in Gaza kill six, including five at school shelter

11 Jul 09:06 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP