Armed Opposition to the U.S. Occupation of Iraq Could Signal a Protracted Guerilla War

Interview with Chris Toensing, executive director and editor of Middle East Report, conducted by Scott Harris

With growing attention being focused on the Bush administration's failure to locate Iraq's "weapons of mass destruction," the president's principal justification for war, Congress and the media are beginning to ask some tough questions about the possible exaggeration or manipulation of information gathered by intelligence agencies. Against this backdrop, armed resistance to the U.S. military occupation of Iraq is becoming more deadly with each passing day.

Over the past two weeks attacks by guerilla forces centered in cities north of Baghdad have killed at least 10 American soldiers, wounded 25 and shot down an Apache helicopter. Ambushes by these forces against U.S. troops, described by Washington as remnants of the Baathist party loyal to Saddam Hussein or terrorists sympathetic to al Qaeda, are almost a daily occurrence. The U.S. has responded by sending thousands of troops into conflicted areas and aggressive house-to-house searches for weapons, tactics which have angered many anti-Saddam civilians who increasingly resent the occupation of their nation. The killing of 18 un-armed protesters by U.S. soldiers in the city of Falluja last month, has also fanned the flames of hostility and sparked a cry for revenge.

In all, 40 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq, many from hostile fire, since the Pentagon announced the end of the war on May 1. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Chris Toensing, editor of Middle East Report, who examines the growing armed resistance in Iraq and the possibility that the increasing number of guerilla attacks could signal the beginning of a protracted conflict.

Contact Middle East Report by calling (202) 223-3677 or visit their website at www.merip.org

Related links

"Sniper kills American soldier in Baghdad," by Jane Arraf, Satinder Bindra, Barbara Starr and Ben Wedeman, CNN, June 17, 2003

"America's Rebuilding of Iraq is in Chaos, Say British," by Peter Foster, The Telegraph, June 17, 2003

"Iraq Occupation Has Deadly Toll For US," by Robert Schlesinger, The Boston Globe, June 16, 2003

"American Peace Put to the Test," by Jean-Louis Turlin, Le Figaro, June 14, 2003

"U.S. soldiers face growing resistance," Attacks in central Iraq become more frequent, sophisticated, by William Booth and Daniel Williams, The Washington Post, June 9, 2003

"Ex-Army Boss: Pentagon Won't Admit Reality in Iraq," By Dave Moniz, USA Today, June 3, 2003

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