BAGHDAD — The U.S. military has laid siege to a provincial capital
regarded as the hotbed of the Sunni insurgency.
Iraqi and U.S. troops, backed by main battle tanks and helicopters, have
surrounded Ramadi in advance of a major operation against insurgents in the
capital of Al Anbar. The U.S. Navy has deployed fast attack boats in the
Euphrates River to prevent the flight of Al Qaida or other Sunni insurgents
from this city of 400,000.
"I really think the fight will be in the coming days," U.S. Army Lt.
Col. V.J. Tedesco, commander of the 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st
Armored Division, said.
On Monday, hundreds of Iraqi and U.S. troops, supported by an AC-130 air
gunship, entered Ramadi and went door-to-door in search of bombs and
weapons. Officials said the incursion took place in eastern Ramadi
neighborhood of Mulab, Middle East Newsline reported.
"It's one of the first steps to moving into areas of the city that have
not had a large coalition or Iraqi presence for a long time, if ever," Col.
Sean MacFarland, commander of the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, said.
Earlier, U.S. and Iraqi troops, amid light resistance, established
outposts along the southern edge of Ramadi. Officials said the coalition did
not plan a massive assault on Ramadi, rather an operation to block
insurgency movement and supplies.
In May, the U.S. military summoned 1,500 soldiers from Kuwait to bolster
security around Ramadi. The decision was taken in wake of the collapse of
the Iraqi police and security forces amid Al Qaida assassinations of tribal
leaders in Al Anbar.
The Ramadi operation has also included U.S. Navy Seals for sniper
missions. The Marine Corps has been patrolling the Euphrates in support.
"We are seeing some people leaving, but not an exodus," MacFarland said.
"The numbers are in the dozens to hundreds [of families], not anywhere
approaching a thousand."
