US appears to soften demands in Fallujah siege

With a few carefully worded phrases, the US military is apparently stepping back from its strict demands on ending the siege of Fallujah, creating an opening for an Iraqi force to take control of the city from 1,000 or more guerrilla holdouts.

Army Gen. John Abizaid, who heads US military operations in the Middle East, said the United States was sticking by the objectives it outlined when the Marines stormed the city west of Baghdad on April 5.