The cost of living and the price of death

[number6]

By Scott Taylor in Kirkuk

Tuesday 08 June 2004



The streets of this northern Iraqi city were almost deserted, when a US ambush patrol spotted a suspicious vehicle driving near the blast site.

Tracking the car with their night-vision goggles they waited until the driver was in range and then opened up with a deadly burst of machine-gun fire.

Fifty-three bullets smashed into the BMW, 13 of which entered the driver's head and torso.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A88E5E3B-4D92-435E-A9C2-BF78E22E3981.htm

[number6]

1. more

It must be noted that Major Schubert is stationed at the US airbase, five kilometres from the civil administration headquarters where the letter was delivered by his subordinate. Along with this single piece of correspondence emblazoned with the official Department of Defence letterhead, Amen was handed ten $100 bills and a receipt to sign.

"I asked the captain, 'What's this money is for?' The BMW alone was worth $5000," said Amen. The JAG officer politely explained that the $1000 was not intended as compensation for property damage, but was in essence a grant from the international aid fund