U.S. Soldiers Fire Into Baghdad Crowd

[SoCalDem]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030813/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

Wed Aug 13, 8:44 AM ET

A small group of dozens of Iraqis shout anti-American slogans after claiming that U.S. forces attacked them in the Al-Sadr City district in Baghdad, Iraq (news - web sites) on Wednesday Aug. 13, 2003. According to the protesters, a U.S. military helicopter overflew a tower where religious flags were flying and tried to take down a flag and later opened fire on the people. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)

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U.S. Soldiers Fire Into Baghdad Crowd
24 minutes ago

By TAREK AL-ISSAWI, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. soldiers shot into a crowd of thousands of demonstrators in a Baghdad slum on Wednesday, killing one civilian and wounding four after a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at them, the military said. North of Baghdad, guerrillas killed two American troops.




In Sadr City, a Shiite Muslim slum, about 3,000 demonstrators gathered around a telecommunications tower where they said American forces in a helicopter tried to tear down an Islamic banner. U.S. military spokesman Sgt. Danny Martin said it was apparently blown down by rotor wash from a helicopter.


However, amateur video footage obtained by Associated Press Television News showed a Black Hawk helicopter hovering a few feet from the top of the tower and apparently trying to tear down the banner. Later, U.S. Humvees drove by and the crowd threw stones at them. Heavy gunfire could be heard and demonstrators were seen diving to the ground.


Martin said U.S. forces opened fire after stones, gunfire and one rocket-propelled grenade were directed at soldiers of the 1st Armored Division. One civilian was killed and four were wounded, he said. He said no soldiers were hit.


Sadr City, formerly known as Saddam City, is a Shiite stronghold in the otherwise Sunni Muslim-dominated capital. "We're peaceful people, but one edict (from the imams) and the entire American Army will become our prisoner," said Hassan Azab, a member of the local district council.


Also Wednesday, an attack 15 miles south of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s hometown, killed one U.S. soldier and wounded a second when their four-vehicle convoy hit a roadside bomb, according to Maj. Josslyn Aberle, spokeswoman for the 4th Infantry Division.


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