Allawi warning

last updated 8 January 2015

Fallujah, Iraq

The rebels holding the town of Fallujah have little time left to negotiate before U.S. and Iraqi forces charge in, Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said this week. “The terrorists and insurgents continue to use Fallujah and the people of Fallujah as a shield,” Allawi said. “I cannot stand back and allow such attacks to continue.” An aborted Marine attack on Fallujah last April left insurgents in control, and the city is now the main rebel base. Insurgents patrol the streets wearing laminated badges sporting the names of the militant groups they belong to, such as the First Army of Mohammed and the 1920s Brigades. The rebels claim to have 15,000 armed members, while the U.S. puts the figure at 4,000.