Some 2,000 people will return to Fallujah today and find a ghost town of rubble after six weeks of fighting between the US military and insurgents.
The first wave of displaced persons to make their way home after fleeing the city of 300,000 people on the advent of the US assault on the insurgent stronghold will enter an apocalyptic backdrop of flattened city blocks and bullet-scarred homes.
The flow of residents, who stayed with relatives, squatted in schools and shivered in camps during the devastation of the last two months, marks a stab by the Iraqi government to restore normality in troubled al-Anbar province.
"Tomorrow 2,000 heads of families will enter Fallujah, all of them from al-Andalus neighborhood, to check out their houses to decide on their own whether they want to return," National Security Adviser Qassem Daoud told reporters Wednesday.
People will inspect their homes in southwest Fallujah and decide whether they want to stay in the city, which is still the scene of fighting between US forces and insurgents, Daoud said.
"The clashes from time to time are going on, but that doesn't mean there is a huge amount of resistance. It is just people coming in from neighboring areas to carry out some attacks," he said.
Daoud highlighted the amount of damage in Fallujah. "There are some destroyed houses and some wreckage, with mines and explosives inside and even on the streets," Daoud said.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said Wednesday that three of the city's water purification plants had been destroyed and the fourth was badly damaged.
The Iraqi government announced Monday that returning families would receive immediate assistance of 150,000 dinars (US$100) and be eligible for compensation of up to US$10,000 for property damage.
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
ON ALERT: Taiwan’s partners would issue warnings if China attempted to use Interpol to target Taiwanese, and the global body has mechanisms to prevent it, an official said China has stationed two to four people specializing in Taiwan affairs at its embassies in several democratic countries to monitor and harass Taiwanese, actions that the host nations would not tolerate, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said yesterday. Tsai made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, which asked him and Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) to report on potential conflicts in the Taiwan Strait and military preparedness. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) expressed concern that Beijing has posted personnel from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office to its
RSS