'US soldiers started to shoot us, one by one'

'US soldiers started to shoot us, one by one'

Survivors describe wedding massacre as generals refuse to apologise

Rory McCarthy in Ramadi
Friday May 21, 2004
The Guardian


"...Dr Alusi said 11 of the dead were women and 14 were children. "I want to know why the Americans targeted this small village," he said by telephone. "These people are my patients. I know each one of them. What has caused this disaster?"

Despite the compelling testimony of Mrs Shihab, Dr Alusi and other wedding guests, the US military, faced with appar ent evidence of yet another scandal in Iraq, offered an inexplicably different account of the operation.

The military admitted there had been a raid on the village at 3am on Wednesday but said it had targeted a "suspected foreign fighter safe house".

"During the operation, coalition forces came under hostile fire and close air support was provided," it said in a statement. Soldiers at the scene then recovered weapons, Iraqi dinar and Syrian pounds (worth approximately £800), foreign passports and a "Satcom radio", presumably a satellite telephone.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1221658,00.html

- It seems the 'rules of engagement' in Iraq are: kill anyone you want and there will be no repercussions...especially if they are of 'military age'.

Suspected? How can we justify this level of force without knowing that they were indeed legitimate targets? I support our troops and I do not want them to be in harms way... but do some recon before you use bombs and mortars on sleeping people.

Killing 40 innocent people should not be dismissed with:
"...bad things happen in wars. I don't have to apologise for the conduct of my men."

Hex

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