Doug Ross @ Journal

Hell in a very small place

There could hardly be a better commentator on the events unfolding in Fallujah than The Belmont Club. Read the whole thing.

The Bakersfield Californian reports that US forces have reached the major east-west highway that runs through Fallujah. U.S. Marines said American forces had taken control Wednesday of 70 percent of Fallujah in the third day of a major offensive to retake the insurgent stronghold. Major Francis Piccoli, of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, said enemy fighters were bottled up in a strip of the city flanking the major east-west highway that splits Fallujah. Army and Marine units had pushed south to the highway overnight, Piccoli said. ... As the American forces crossed the highway that split Fallujah, armored Army units stayed behind to guard the thoroughfare. To realize the significance of this, refer to this map from Global Security, which shows the start lines of the participating American units: USMC 3/1, USMC 3/5, Army 2/7 Cavalry, USMC 1/8, USMC 1/3 and Army 2/2 Infantry. These units were attacking north to south, down towards the highway. The east-west highway referred to in the paragraph above is the bright green line running horizontally across the map. US Army armor is now on that highway, after advancing south and probably swinging west. US forces are probably waiting across the highway...

The Belmont Club