Fury in Fallujah after US air strikes...

[King_Crimson]

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/jun2004/fall-jun23_prn.shtml

By James Conachy
23 June 2004

The US military carried out its second air strike in four days on residential areas in south central Fallujah yesterday. According to witnesses interviewed by Agence France Presse and other agencies, missiles fired from jet fighters slammed into a mechanic's garage at 10:30 p.m.. The mechanic, Abu Fares, was killed as were his two sons. The Fallujah hospital informed the press that at least 10 other people were injured.

Yesterday's attack follows the devastating air strike on Saturday, which claimed the lives of 22 members of an extended family, including at least three women and five children. Missles fired from F-16 jet fighters reduced their house and a neighboring house to rubble. As many as 30 other people were wounded.

A Fallujah doctor, Fadhil al-Baddrani, told the British Observer that the house belonged to Mohammed Hamadi, a 65-year old farmer. "The whole family is gone. The blast was so powerful it blew them to pieces. We would only recognize the women by their long hair."

Witnesses also claim the American pilots delayed firing a second missle into the house until people had begun desparately digging in the rubble for survivors. Wissam Ali Hamad told Al Jazeerah, "The number of casualties is so high because after the first missle we jumped to rescue the victims. The second missle killed those trying to carry out the rescue."

The US military claims that both yesterday's and Saturday's attacks were against "safe houses" being used by Tawhid wa al-Jihad- an alleged Islamic extremist group headed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

The US justification, hwever, was rejected over the weekend by the Fallujah police and witnesses.
<snip>

A sentiment is developing in Iraq and internationally that the alleged terrorist network of Zarqawi is being used as a bogey-man to justify ongoing US military actions in Iraq.

more...
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/jun2004/fall-j23_prn.shtml

The last paragraph is amazing. The idea that Zarqawi is nothing more than smoke and mirrors is just now being realized? UNBELIEVABLE!:shrug:

[opihimoimoi]

1. Madness Rules. Fostered by Ignorance and Delusion, Madness ensues

[King_Crimson]

2. Good morning opihi...

Imagine whassa gonna happen when "Fahrenheit 9/11" exposes this kind of insanity!

Come, we go arm ouselves in anticipation of right-wing attack

[opihimoimoi]

11. Yup, the Freepers gonna go nuts when Moores flick finally opens

today. Get more ammo and bolt them doors.

[Bonhomme Richard]

3. More of Winning Hearts and Minds.

Isn't it the mark of insanity when you keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.
God, I can't wait until Kerry wins. I just hope he doesn't wimp out and prosecutes those in this administration responsible for this mess.

[King_Crimson]

4. Gonna take more than Kerry..

to prosecute these vampires. A mass uprising of the citizenry DEMANDING it is what will be necessary.
However, I feel that these bastards already have in place a plan to shut down the election. I just have a sneaky suspicion that something very awful awaits us in the not so distant future.

[shoelace414]

5. well

the bombing houses is working well in Israel, I see why we're using that tatic

:crazy: :crazy:

[leftchick]

6. Related Article:Bombing Falluja - Who ya' gonna' believe?

Well worth the read....Note: terrorism is the "all purpose excuse"
to bomb Iraqis...

http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=1545

<snip>
Brigadier Nuri Abudi, a member of the Falluja Brigade entrusted by the US occupation with imposing security in the city, said “We inspected the damage, we looked through the bodies of the women and children and elderly. This was a family. There is no sign of foreigners having lived in the house. Zarqawi and his men have no presence in Falluja.” (Al Jazeerah)

The US military has consistently alleged that foreigners are operating in Falluja, although up to this point, not one member of a terrorist organization has been either captured or positively sighted. The claim of terrorism has simply become the “all purpose” excuse for ongoing attacks on the Iraqi people. This week’s bombing was no different.

Kimmitt’s explanation was picked up and reiterated by the western media without question. In this case, the media not only echoed the fabrications from the military, but also added a few of their own. A Washington Post report by Edward Cody stated, “Falluja medical personnel said 22 people, ALL DESCRIBED AS FOREIGN FIGHTERS, died” in the incident.

Cody’s allegations are uncorroborated and based on pure fantasy. None of the other reports coming from the site identify the victims as “foreign fighters”, nor has anyone proved that foreigners are a critical part of the Iraqi resistance. Cody’s article is simply intended to establish a link between Al Qaida and the insurgency, and thus, reinforce the Bush Administration’s shabby rationale for occupation.

[King_Crimson]

7. That photo of Baby Ali...

brings this old man to tears!:cry:

[truth2power]

15. A comment on that photo.....

This past weekend I took a short ride with my son on his motorcycle. I was wearing shorts (yeah, I know). When I went to dismount I just barely brushed my leg against the exhaust pipe. Those things must run about 2000 degrees, I swear.

I immediately developed a red spot about the size of a silver dollar which has turned into a second degree burn, I guess that's it. The top layer of skin peeled off that area. It's improving now, but the past few days it has hurt like hell, especially as I'm continually scraping the area on one thing or another.

Looking at that picture and thinking of the torture that child must have gone through, given how really painful my small burn was, well....hell is too good for Bushco! :cry:

[Ripley]

17. I did the same damn thing once.

About 15 years ago. Since then I always "bow-leg it" when getting on or off a bike.

You are right tho about the picture. I find myself zipping past it whenever I see her posts....too much sadness and anger erupts in me.

[ninkasi]

19. The photo of Baby Ali

haunts me. Look into the tortured eyes of that innocent baby...it's as if the little soul has suffered for thousands of years. That picture, for me, is what I will always consider the face of Bush's legacy as president.

It has been impressed on me since the illegal coup which installed him, that democracy is more fragile than I realized. We can never again get so lazy that we allow our country to be hijacked by neocon criminals

[Ripley]

20. I wonder if Americans would change their minds bout this debacle if...

this Baby Ali picture and the picture of the prisoner sitting on the ground with a bag over his head comforting his child were shown on TV? We know they can rationalize "frat pranks" of naked men. But I don't think the vast majority of Americans have seen pictures of children, except the chosen, rare few we decided to "help."

[brokensymmetry]

8. That ought to win their hearts and minds!

Oops! That was an old cliche from the Vietnam war. I wonder why it comes to mind? :)

[gratuitous]

9. The bomb blast "blew them to pieces"

Okay, tell me again how barbaric beheading is? It certainly is, no doubt about it, but launching a bomb from a safe distance against people who can't fight back and can't get away seems particularly barbaric, too. We don't come to this argument with clean hands.

And aren't we engaging in mass reprisals in violation of the Geneva Conventions?

[King_Crimson]

16. Ever seen this?

http://www.globalresearch.ca/audiovideo/apachehit.mpg Hope the airmen are proud of their fucking selves...and that from a US Air Force vet '71-'77!

[TrustingDog]

21. yes, saw that apache clip...

had a nice chit chat with some neocons on another board on this a few months back ... made Some progress - they finally realized that it was a tractor in a field, not a tank on a street... good grief, you can see the furrows!

I have my suspicions that the farmers were a husband and wife working together - when they switch at the tractor, looks like there is a moment of a peck on the cheek...

and blowing up the wounded man...

i'm so sickened by all of this, I really should take some time off.

[0007]

18. ......and especially taking down a wounded man. This is as barbaric

as beheading a person.

[Nlighten1]

10. 500,000 dead

I just had a friend call me and tell me he heard on the radio that the US military leveled Falujah.

Anyone else hearing this?

[TrustingDog]

12. come on...

please don't post this kind of stuff unless you have some kind of source besides 'a friend said'. this is too heavy.

[Nlighten1]

22. I found out what the deal was with this...

There is a clown on AM radio in Chicago who did a "War of the Worlds" type broadcast today. He claimed that we dropped a nuke on this town.

[Q]

13. These are WAR CRIMES...

...and it's too bad the Democratic party is too chickenshit to say so. Welcome to the one-party state of America. There is no crime if no one is brave enough to admit it and prosecute.

[gasperc]

14. Chomsky said " we used to just bring in the B-1 bombers"

I guess we have gotten back to that point