US and Iraqi troops backed by American fighter planes attacked rebels in western Iraq today, launching the latest in a series of offensives against insurgents in the volatile Euphrates river valley since May.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari travelled to the sacred Shi'ite city of Najaf to consult with the nation's top Shi'ite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, on the new constitution, which is due to be presented to parliament in 10 days.
Al-Sistani's support may determine the success of the document.
Lieutenant Colonel Steve Boylan
The military operation, dubbed Quick Strike, comes two days after 14 US Marines were killed in a roadside bomb blast near the western town of Haditha, one of the deadliest attacks against US forces since the war began.
The blast, which brought the number of US troops to have died in Iraq to 1,820, has raised questions about whether Washington has underestimated the strength of the insurgency. More than 20 US troops have died in western Iraq this month.
The new offensive, involving 1,000 troops, began on August 3 and is focused on the Haditha area, but was not launched in response to the roadside bomb attack, a military spokesman said.
"The objectives are to interdict and disrupt the insurgents and foreign terrorists in Haditha, Haqlaniya and the Barwanah area," Lieutenant Colonel Steve Boylan said.
The Euphrates valley, which runs northwest from Baghdad to the Syrian border, has become one of the most violent regions of the country and a heartland of the Sunni Arab-led insurgency.
US commanders say the valley, thick with palm groves, riverside marshes and old settlements, is a conduit for insurgents and weapons entering Iraq from Syria. Its topography makes it difficult for conventional forces to operate.
Beginning in May, the Marines have launched successive offensives in the area, including in towns along the border and villages near Haditha, but guerrilla attacks have persisted.
Often, when US forces arrive in a suspected insurgent stronghold they discover that fighters have melted away. Once US troops leave, the fighters return, residents say.
Hospital sources in Haditha said at least three Iraqis had died in fighting today. There was no word on any US military casualties.