say it isn't so
U.S. military air strikes bombed Iraqi civilians yesterday, but you might not see this story in your daily news if it might offend you. Thankfully, the Associated Press was there for news media not tied at their ankles.
Is it considered anti-American to show American atrocities?
This story aired on Canada's national news, CTV, on October 17, 2005.
Read the story from LA Times
Or read an excerpt of the story here from canoe.ca, dated October 17, 2005
U.S. bombs Iraqi villages
By THOMAS WAGNER
By THOMAS WAGNER
BAGHDAD (AP) - U.S. warplanes and helicopters bombed two western Iraqi villages, killing an estimated 70 people near a site where five American soldiers died in a weekend roadside blast. The U.S. military described those killed as "terrorists," but residents said at least 39 of the dead were civilians, including children.
Sunday's violence near the insurgent stronghold of Ramadi came a day after Iraq voted on a landmark constitution that many Sunnis opposed. As officials continued counting millions of paper ballots Monday, the charter seemed assured of passage.
On Saturday, a roadside bomb killed five U.S. soldiers in a vehicle in the Al-Bu Ubaid village on the eastern outskirts of Ramadi. On Sunday, a group of about two dozen Iraqis gathered around the wreckage were hit by U.S. air strikes, the military and witnesses said.
The U.S. military claimed the crowd was setting another roadside bomb when F-15 warplanes hit them, killing about 20 people it described as "terrorists."
But several residents and one local leader said they were civilians gathering to gawk at and take pieces of the wreckage, as often occurs after an American vehicle is hit.
Tribal leader Chiad Saad said the air strike killed 25 civilians, and several others said the same thing, although they refused to give their names out of fears for their safety.
The other deaths occurred in the nearby village of Al-Bu Faraj. The U.S. military said a group of gunmen opened fire on a Cobra attack helicopter that had spotted their position. The Cobra returned fire, killing about 10. The men ran into a nearby house, where gunmen were seen unloading weapons before an F/A-18 warplane bombed the building, killing 40 insurgents, the military said.
Witnesses said at least 14 of those dead were civilians. After a man was wounded in an air strike, he was brought into a nearby building that was struck by warplanes, said the witnesses, who refused to give their names out of fear for their safety.
An Iraqi journalist reporting for The Associated Press said he later saw the 14 bodies and the damaged building.
Associated Press Television News video from the scene showed the victims included at least two children and one woman. Witnesses said seven other children were among the dead. APTN also showed two children among the wounded at Ramadi General Hospital.
Sunday's violence near the insurgent stronghold of Ramadi came a day after Iraq voted on a landmark constitution that many Sunnis opposed. As officials continued counting millions of paper ballots Monday, the charter seemed assured of passage.
On Saturday, a roadside bomb killed five U.S. soldiers in a vehicle in the Al-Bu Ubaid village on the eastern outskirts of Ramadi. On Sunday, a group of about two dozen Iraqis gathered around the wreckage were hit by U.S. air strikes, the military and witnesses said.
The U.S. military claimed the crowd was setting another roadside bomb when F-15 warplanes hit them, killing about 20 people it described as "terrorists."
But several residents and one local leader said they were civilians gathering to gawk at and take pieces of the wreckage, as often occurs after an American vehicle is hit.
Tribal leader Chiad Saad said the air strike killed 25 civilians, and several others said the same thing, although they refused to give their names out of fears for their safety.
The other deaths occurred in the nearby village of Al-Bu Faraj. The U.S. military said a group of gunmen opened fire on a Cobra attack helicopter that had spotted their position. The Cobra returned fire, killing about 10. The men ran into a nearby house, where gunmen were seen unloading weapons before an F/A-18 warplane bombed the building, killing 40 insurgents, the military said.
Witnesses said at least 14 of those dead were civilians. After a man was wounded in an air strike, he was brought into a nearby building that was struck by warplanes, said the witnesses, who refused to give their names out of fear for their safety.
An Iraqi journalist reporting for The Associated Press said he later saw the 14 bodies and the damaged building.
Associated Press Television News video from the scene showed the victims included at least two children and one woman. Witnesses said seven other children were among the dead. APTN also showed two children among the wounded at Ramadi General Hospital.
posted by tastes like chicken @ 11:30 AM
2 Comments:
thanks for posting this. it amazes me, the number of ppl who think that we're occupying another country, we're at war but we're not really killing any innocent ppl. now that the media in the US is finally starting to do its job, may this war be over soon.
thanks for your comment jawahara.
one of the greatest things is freedom of the press-- something which citizens of some other countries are envious. yet, this freedom has been greatly restricted in America lately and is only starting to regain access as a result of public outcry and legal challenges.
that said, the news is also a consumer product, and not all news is good news for sales or ratings. so when a hot potato story like this one uncovers an ugly truth and make it to print/TV/web, that means the story had to fight its way there, past the field and through the wires. to inform the people, to remove ignorance, is to shed light on a dark corner of the world and within our minds.
yes, may this war be over soon.
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