Since its capture by U.S. forces nearly a year ago, Fallujah has stayed defiant in the face of American military might. Over the past year, units from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division and the departing 82nd Airborne Division have come and gone and failed to end armed resistance in the Euphrates riverside city.

Their tasks have been hampered by a lack of reliable intelligence from a populace that views the Americans as occupiers and often refer to them as crusaders, infidels or enemies of Islam. The city's U.S.-backed security forces are viewed as collaborators.

Iraqis in Fallujah often complain about what they see as the heavy-handedness and cultural insensitivity of American troops, who they accuse of shooting at random every time they come under attack. The U.S. military says its men shoot with precision and target only individuals seen as an immediate threat.

Raids of Iraqi homes, a sore point for most Iraqis, are part of the search for insurgents, their backers or arms caches, U.S. commanders say.

Over the past week, five men from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force have been killed in attacks in Anbar province, which encompasses Fallujah, according to the unit's commander, Lt. Gen. James T. Conway.

He said his men's "cultural training" would be effective in better understanding local customs.

"I think if you take the time to learn about the culture, if you do language immersion and if you try and understand the people you are dealing with, that makes you more effective whatever your approach," he said.

Fallujah's security, however, remains tenuous.

Hours before Wednesday's handover ceremony, fighting raged between U.S. troops and gunmen. Associated Press Television News footage showed two civilian cars burned, bloodstains and bullet holes in walls, as well as two wounded Iraqis being taken into a hospital.

The U.S. military said two "coalition personnel" were injured after attackers detonated a roadside bomb and raked their vehicle with gunfire. Three civilians died and three others were wounded, according to a doctor at Fallujah's main hospital.

Maj. Gen. Charles H. Swannack Jr., commander of the 82nd division, said the U.S. vehicle was hit after three Iraqis wanted for suspected anti-coalition activity were arrested.

"Fallujah has become a magnet for anyone who doesn't like America or wants to fight Americans," explained the police chief, Brig. Aboud Farhan al-Issawi. "The people of Fallujah itself want the Americans to leave."

Swannack said Iraqis in Fallujah and elsewhere in Anbar province had failed to provide his units with intelligence they needed to more effectively fight the insurgency, and that reconstruction efforts had not led to an increase in goodwill.

Conway, Swannack's replacement, said his tactics would not be much different from those of the 82nd.

"I don't think we will have any soccer games with Iraqis scheduled for next week," he told reporters. "There has to be a period where we have grown to that level of security where we can engage in some of these things."

Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of the U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq, played down the troubles.

"We've made significant progress in Anbar province. Iraqis have gotten tired of the violence and are cooperating. They want to get on with living their lives the way they used," he said in Fallujah.

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