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Time:

The Sinaa industrial district in southeast Fallujah was once al Qaeda's hive and bomb making base in the city. And for Marine Capt. Sean Miller, a suicide bomber's vest found there a few days ago symbolizes the dilemma at the heart of U.S. thinking about leaving Iraq.

Three years ago, the U.S. all but razed Sinaa in Operation Al Fajr. At least 900 shops and factories were destroyed or seriously damaged in a district that employed about 70% of Fallujah's workforce. To fully revive the city, the area has to return to its old industrious self. But to do that may allow Al Qaeda to slip back in. Marine officials say the bomb-laden vest they found Thursday looked new enough to indicate that that's just what Al Qaeda is trying to do.

"There are still reports... of people trying to build bombs in Sinaa right now," Capt. Miller told a group of civic, business and religious leaders who met clandestinely Friday at a Marine outpost amid the junk heap of Fallujah's former industrial hub. "We don't need any more gunfire; we don't need any more bullets; we don't need any more explosions," he said. "This area is very important to Fallujah. No more suicide bombers should be here.... Let's get people back to work and force the insurgents out."

RTWT.

Posted by Bill at October 29, 2007 09:58 AM | TrackBack (0)