CBS Evening News top story (Iraq War) - 2004-10-31

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:04] In the battle for Iraq, a rocket struck

[0:07] a hotel in the northern city of Toree

[0:08] today, killing 15 Iraqis and wounding

[0:11] eight others. With only 3 months now

[0:13] until scheduled elections in Iraq, US

[0:15] and Iraqi forces are preparing for a

[0:18] major offensive on the rebel stronghold

[0:20] of Fallujah. The goal is to break the

[0:23] back of the insurgency and return

[0:24] Fallujah to the control of the interim

[0:27] Iraqi government. Kimberly Doer is

[0:29] embedded with the first Marine

[0:31] Expeditionary Force.

[0:34] >> After more violence in Fallujah and

[0:36] Ramani, Iraq's prime minister has warned

[0:38] his patience is running out. He says

[0:41] this is the last chance for militants to

[0:43] agree to lay down their arms and avert

[0:45] war.

[0:46] >> We are approaching the the end. Uh I am

[0:49] not putting a time schedule here, but we

[0:53] are approaching the end. The Marines are

[0:55] already preparing weapons and vehicles

[0:57] to be ready to attack at a moment's

[0:59] notice. They're also trying to hunt down

[1:02] some of the militant leadership before

[1:03] the fight begins. They say the longer

[1:06] they wait, the more time their adversary

[1:08] has to plan and marshall its forces.

[1:10] >> The Fallujah area is urban. It's got

[1:13] complex terrain. It has difficult

[1:15] avenues of approach. It has very zealous

[1:19] fighters. The Marines say they know

[1:22] innocent Iraqis may be killed, but they

[1:24] believe driving the insurgents out is

[1:26] the best way to help the people of

[1:27] Fallujah and Ramani.

[1:29] >> The sooner we end this, the sooner we

[1:31] can help them rebuild and the sooner uh,

[1:33] you know, their life will uh will be

[1:35] better.

[1:36] >> The upcoming battle has mostly

[1:38] overshadowed the race for the White

[1:39] House thousands of miles away. Every

[1:42] Marine we spoke to believes no matter

[1:44] who is elected president, the troops

[1:46] will still have to finish the job of

[1:48] securing and rebuilding Iraq before the

[1:50] commander-in-chief can send them home.

[1:52] Kimberly Doer, CBS News with the First

[1:54] Marine Expeditionary Force outside

[1:57] Fallujah.