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Fallujah Scholars Warn against Massive US Onslaught
BAGHDAD, October 15 (IslamOnline.net) - The Fallujah Muslim scholars Friday, October15 , appealed to the international community for helping save the heavily-populated Iraqi city from a feared massive US onslaught.
In a statement obtained by IslamOnline.net, the scholars threatened to declare holy war across Iraq if the US occupation forces continue the onslaught.
"Since the Fallujah negotiating team said Iraq’s interim government is not interested into negotiations, the scholars agreed asking Islamic organizations for a unified decisive stance against the use of force," read the statement.
In a statement obtained by IslamOnline.net, the scholars threatened to declare holy war across Iraq if the US occupation forces continue the onslaught.
"Since the Fallujah negotiating team said Iraq’s interim government is not interested into negotiations, the scholars agreed asking Islamic organizations for a unified decisive stance against the use of force," read the statement.
The statement urged other Muslim scholars in Iraq to issue an edict calling for civil disobedience and to ban the implementation of US military orders for striking Fallujah or other cities in the country.
It also refuted the US military claims for striking the city; that of the presence of Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Mussab Al-Zarqawi, reiterating all the Fallujans "agree these are as false claims as these of weapons of mass destruction."
The United States has made the case of the invasion and occupation allegedly for searching for weapons of mass destruction, none of which have been found in the country _ which has the world’s second oil reserves.
"The allegation that Zarqawi is here has been used to justify killing women and children," read the statement, referring to the TV scenes of pulling out bodies of children after the US military strikes of the city.
Strikes Continue
The statements came after at least eight people were killed and several injured in one of the heaviest US bombardments for weeks, medical sources told BBC News Online.
A hospital doctor, Thamim al-Nuaimi, said five civilians had been killed and 11 wounded in the attacks.
During the bombardment, American troops reportedly detained Muslim scholar cleric Khaled al-Jumaili, a senior member of a delegation which had been negotiating a truce in Fallujah.
Iraqi police said US marines also detained the city's police chief and two other police officers as they moved their families to a nearby town to escape American air raids. No reasons were cited for the detentions.
Also, more than1 , 000US and Iraqi ground troops advanced towards Fallujah in the first land operation after weeks of almost daily air strikes.
It was the biggest deployment of US ground forces since last April when marines and fighters battled in Fallujah, leaving hundreds dead, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
That campaign ended in an inconclusive stand-off.
Ground Invasion
However, Residents of Fallujah are packing their bags and leaving town fearing the strikes could be prelude to a full-scale assault.
"They bombed us with their planes and people started running away from home," one resident told Reuters news agency.
"The situation now is very difficult and we are leaving now," he added, with clear signs of fury.
The Friday air strikes came one day after a call to residents by Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi to give up Zarqawi.
But the city delegation said the government's demand was "impossible" to fulfill, as he is asking them to chase shadows.
"Zarqawi is like the weapons of mass destruction that America invaded Iraq for,” Maddab was quoted by Reuters as saying, alluding to Iraq’s arsenal of banned arms that proved not to exist.
"We hear about that name (Zarqawi), but he is not here. More than 20 or30 homes have been bombarded because of this Zarqawi and his followers but only women, children and the elderly have been affected, " the negotiator added.
http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2004-10/15/article07.shtml
It also refuted the US military claims for striking the city; that of the presence of Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Mussab Al-Zarqawi, reiterating all the Fallujans "agree these are as false claims as these of weapons of mass destruction."
The United States has made the case of the invasion and occupation allegedly for searching for weapons of mass destruction, none of which have been found in the country _ which has the world’s second oil reserves.
"The allegation that Zarqawi is here has been used to justify killing women and children," read the statement, referring to the TV scenes of pulling out bodies of children after the US military strikes of the city.
Strikes Continue
The statements came after at least eight people were killed and several injured in one of the heaviest US bombardments for weeks, medical sources told BBC News Online.
A hospital doctor, Thamim al-Nuaimi, said five civilians had been killed and 11 wounded in the attacks.
During the bombardment, American troops reportedly detained Muslim scholar cleric Khaled al-Jumaili, a senior member of a delegation which had been negotiating a truce in Fallujah.
Iraqi police said US marines also detained the city's police chief and two other police officers as they moved their families to a nearby town to escape American air raids. No reasons were cited for the detentions.
Also, more than1 , 000US and Iraqi ground troops advanced towards Fallujah in the first land operation after weeks of almost daily air strikes.
It was the biggest deployment of US ground forces since last April when marines and fighters battled in Fallujah, leaving hundreds dead, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
That campaign ended in an inconclusive stand-off.
Ground Invasion
However, Residents of Fallujah are packing their bags and leaving town fearing the strikes could be prelude to a full-scale assault.
"They bombed us with their planes and people started running away from home," one resident told Reuters news agency.
"The situation now is very difficult and we are leaving now," he added, with clear signs of fury.
The Friday air strikes came one day after a call to residents by Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi to give up Zarqawi.
But the city delegation said the government's demand was "impossible" to fulfill, as he is asking them to chase shadows.
"Zarqawi is like the weapons of mass destruction that America invaded Iraq for,” Maddab was quoted by Reuters as saying, alluding to Iraq’s arsenal of banned arms that proved not to exist.
"We hear about that name (Zarqawi), but he is not here. More than 20 or30 homes have been bombarded because of this Zarqawi and his followers but only women, children and the elderly have been affected, " the negotiator added.
http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2004-10/15/article07.shtml
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