64 days 'till Iraqi self rule

I guess I should change that running title to: X days 'till limited Iraqi sovereignty, but somehow it just doesn't seem to roll of the tongue.

Fallujah Truce Ends; U.S. Pounds Insurgent Targets

Explosions and showers of sparks lit up the sky in Fallujah on Tuesday night in a battle that appeared much heavier than the previous night's clashes -- evidence that U.S. forces may be trying to wear down a bastion of gunmen in the tense city.

U.S. aircraft and artillery put on a show of force against Sunni insurgents in Fallujah, the focal point of the anti-coalition insurgency, as a fragile cease fire came to an end after two extensions.

An AC-130 gunship and artillery opened up on the Jolan district in northern Fallujah -- a poor neighborhood where many insurgents have gathered -- as gunfire flashed for nearly two hours. The region is where a Marine was killed in fighting Monday night.

Fires were visible in the district, and mosque loudspeakers elsewhere in the city called on firefighters to mobilize.

Marines are preparing to begin patrols in the city, and on Tuesday started training Iraqi security forces to join them.

The cease-fire was called by U.S. forces to give insurgents a chance to heed requests by Fallujah's civic leaders to turn in heavy weapons. Earlier this week, a spokesman said military leaders were disappointed with the response, receiving mostly small arms that were rusted and old.

Several times this month, the U.S. military backed away from threats of an all-out offensive, extending a cease-fire in the city despite sporadic fighting with insurgents.

Talks to end the standoff in the tense city of Fallujah seemed to be going well earlier Tuesday, Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said earlier in the day, before the new fighting began. Kimmitt told AP Radio the United States doesn't plan on setting deadlines or ultimatums, saying they wouldn't be helpful at this point.

But, Kimmitt said, U.S. military officials will follow the recommendations of the Marine commander in the Fallujah area. He said if the commander decides it's time to "stop talking," then U.S. officials will "stand behind him."