Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi authorized the operation, dubbed Phantom Fury, some seven months after an initial attempt by the U.S. military to reclaim the rebel city ended in a stalemate that forced the troops to withdraw.

Ending weeks of anticipation, crack Iraqi troops and U.S. Marines seized control of Fallujah's main hospital during a pre-dawn offensive Nov. 8, triggering a day of clashes that erupted into an all-out assault as night fell.

Iraqi and U.S. officials believe that al-Qaeda frontman Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his followers have turned Fallujah into an operating base. They gave the residents an ultimatum to surrender the militants or face assault, but city leaders insist such people are not there.

U.S. commanders estimate that 2,000 to 2,500 fighters, some loyal to al-Zarqawi, are in the city and its surrounding areas. The military believes that another 10,000 men could join in the battle.

The Japan Times Weekly: Nov. 13, 2004
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