Fighting and counterinsurgency operations continue in the restive city

As negotiations to form the Iraqi government proceed, Coalition and insurgent forces continue to battle over the contested city of Ramadi. The Associated Press reports "Sunni insurgents made their strongest attack in six weeks against the Anbar provincial government headquarters in Ramadi" and "U.S. Marines guarding the government headquarters fought back with anti-tank rockets, machine guns and small-arms fire." Marine air support from Al Asad Air base was called in, and an F/A-18 conducted a bombing run on insurgent positions. "Sporadic shooting occurred around the government building after sunset."

No Marines were reported killed in the fighting, and the number of insurgents killed is unknown. A reader from Holland (Niels) emaiedl and said a Dutch news source indicated fifty insurgents were killed during the counterattack [translation from Niels]:

"The US Marine Corpse announced that their troops in Ramadi, west of Baghdad, repelled an attack on the office of the governor of Anbar province. Insurgents attacked the building which was protected by sandbags and marines, from various directions. The marines haven't counted body's yet. But a spokesman said perhaps 50 insurgents have been killed in the counterattack, from which marines got air support."

The provincial government headquarters sits directly on Route Michigan, perhaps the most dangerous stretch of road in Iraq, and is the symbol of power in Anbar.

Insurgents have conducted false propaganda operations in the past, such as the incident in early December where the Associated Press reported a fake uprising based on stringers, so the possibility exists this report is false as well.

While we wait for further word from the heart of Ramadi, Coalition and Iraq troops conducted another operation, Bastogne, in the Julayba area which lies east of Ramadi. Bastogne is the second counterinsurgency operation conducted in the Julayba region in the past several weeks, as Normandy was conducted at the end of March. Bastogne is a joint U.S. and Iraqi operation, conducted by Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Division ― partnered with Soldiers of Task Force 1-506 Infantry of 2/28 Brigade Combat Team.

The Iraqi Army 1-1-1 is one of the most experienced battalions in the newly formed Iraqi Army, having fought in Fallujah, Tal Afar, Mosul, Husaybah and elsewhere, and recently deployed to Ramadi. According to the Multinational Forces Iraq press release, Bastone resulted in "two insurgent killed, three insurgents wounded, three suspected insurgents detained, one cache discovered and two IEDs discovered. The cache found consisted of numerous artillery rounds, rocket propelled grenades, anti-aircraft rounds, fuzes, primers and mortar propellants."

Bastone is the latest of the small-scale counterinsurgency operations in Ramadi and the surrounding Jazzera region. In an interview with Major General Huck last December, he stated a political solution to the insurgency in Ramadi is desired. But he has made it clear that all options remain on the table, including an assault on the scale of Fallujah, if the insurgency does not abate.' Ramadi is both a political and military problem, and, for better or worst, all options will be exhausted before "the Fallujah option" is put on the table.