Assault on Fallujah

The new assault on Fallujah has begun. I heard a story on NPR late last week about the difficulties American soldiers face in taking Iraqi soldiers into battle with them. Several points were made: one, that since we pulled out of Fallujah earlier this year in response to complaints about civilian deaths, the insurgents have had plenty of time to fortify their positions. Two, that U.S. soldiers don't want to take Iraqi soldiers in with them because they're not trained to U.S. standards, but that they have to do so because politics demands that Iraqis be seen fighting alongside U.S. troops. Three, that Iraqi soldiers are poorly equipped--one machine gun fighter was carrying his ammunition around in a large metal case that was so bulky it would impede mobility on the battlefield.
Question: is this a fair report? Are you satisfied that our method of gaining control of Fallujah is the best military strategy, one that maximizes our chances of success and minimizes the numbers of probable U.S. casualties?