The Observer | International | Fighting kills 135 children: "Antony Barnett | Sunday January 30, 2005 | The Observer
One hundred and thirty five Iraqi children have been killed in fighting or terrorist attacks in the last five months of 2004, official figures reveal.
For the first time the Iraqi Ministry of Health has released its analysis of the rising death toll among civilians in Iraq. It shows that between 1 July 2004 and 1 December 2004 more than 3,200 Iraqi civilians were killed in total as a result of military activity, either by Coalition forces or insurgent attacks
...
The official figures are certain to cause controversy. Both British and US governments have been reluctant to reveal the number of civilians who have died since the outbreak of war in March 2003.
These new figures suggest 600 civilians are dying a month - which would equate to about 11,000 casualties in the past 18 months. The Foreign Office has refused to comment on the figures.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
BBC sorry for 'mistakes' on count coaltion's victims
Scotland on Sunday - International - BBC sorry for 'mistakes' on count coaltion's victimsSun 30 Jan 2005 | NICHOLAS CHRISTIAN
THE BBC was last night forced to issue an apology after it "misinterpreted" figures and claimed more Iraqi civilians may have been killed by coalition forces and their allies than by insurgents.
The figures, released by the Iraqi Ministry of Health, gave details of Iraqi deaths in the country between July 1 last year and January 1 this year.
They showed 3,274 people died and 12,657 were injured in conflict-related violence. Of these, 2,041 deaths were the result of military operations and 8,542 people were injured. This compares with 1,233 deaths caused by terrorist operations.
The BBC’s Panorama said "military operations" meant those carried out by coalition forces and Iraqi security forces. The programme also categorised all the deaths and injuries as civilian.
But yesterday the Iraqi Ministry of Health disputed this and said those killed in military operations included terrorists and Iraqi security forces. The ministry added that "military operations" referred to Iraqis killed by terrorists as well as by coalition and Iraqi security forces.
The BBC said it "regrets mistakes in its published and broadcast reports yesterday".
THE BBC was last night forced to issue an apology after it "misinterpreted" figures and claimed more Iraqi civilians may have been killed by coalition forces and their allies than by insurgents.
The figures, released by the Iraqi Ministry of Health, gave details of Iraqi deaths in the country between July 1 last year and January 1 this year.
They showed 3,274 people died and 12,657 were injured in conflict-related violence. Of these, 2,041 deaths were the result of military operations and 8,542 people were injured. This compares with 1,233 deaths caused by terrorist operations.
The BBC’s Panorama said "military operations" meant those carried out by coalition forces and Iraqi security forces. The programme also categorised all the deaths and injuries as civilian.
But yesterday the Iraqi Ministry of Health disputed this and said those killed in military operations included terrorists and Iraqi security forces. The ministry added that "military operations" referred to Iraqis killed by terrorists as well as by coalition and Iraqi security forces.
The BBC said it "regrets mistakes in its published and broadcast reports yesterday".
U.K., U.S. Deaths Confirmed in Iraq Plane Crash
Top News Article | Reuters.com: "U.K., U.S. Deaths Confirmed in Iraq Plane Crash | Sun Jan 30, 2005 04:03 PM ET
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A number of British military personnel died when an air force transport plane crashed northwest of Baghdad on Sunday, Prime Minister Tony Blair said.
The C-130 Hercules transport plane involved in the crash can carry up to 92 troops, 64 paratroopers or military equipment.
Blair, in a statement on British television, did not say how many had died but President Bush said both U.S. and British military personnel had lost their lives in the crash.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A number of British military personnel died when an air force transport plane crashed northwest of Baghdad on Sunday, Prime Minister Tony Blair said.
The C-130 Hercules transport plane involved in the crash can carry up to 92 troops, 64 paratroopers or military equipment.
Blair, in a statement on British television, did not say how many had died but President Bush said both U.S. and British military personnel had lost their lives in the crash.
At Least 232 Civilians Die Doing U.S. Work in Iraq: an increase in the fourth quarter of 2004 of 93 percent.
Excite News: "At Least 232 Civilians Die Doing U.S. Work in Iraq | Jan 30, 4:04 PM (ET) |
By Sue Pleming
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - At least 232 civilians have been killed while working on U.S.-funded contracts in Iraq and the death toll is rising rapidly, according to a U.S. government audit released Sunday.
The quarterly report sent to Congress by the inspector general appointed to audit U.S.-funded work in Iraq said security problems were the biggest obstacle to Iraq's reconstruction and workers faced grave risks daily.
...
More than 1,400 U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq but the U.S. government does not keep an official tally of the number of civilians slain while working on U.S.-funded projects there and in support of U.S. forces.
Bowen cited U.S. Labor Department statistics that showed companies had filed 232 compensation claims under the Defense Base Act (DBA) for workers killed there, an increase in the fourth quarter of 2004 of 93 percent.
By Sue Pleming
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - At least 232 civilians have been killed while working on U.S.-funded contracts in Iraq and the death toll is rising rapidly, according to a U.S. government audit released Sunday.
The quarterly report sent to Congress by the inspector general appointed to audit U.S.-funded work in Iraq said security problems were the biggest obstacle to Iraq's reconstruction and workers faced grave risks daily.
...
More than 1,400 U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq but the U.S. government does not keep an official tally of the number of civilians slain while working on U.S.-funded projects there and in support of U.S. forces.
Bowen cited U.S. Labor Department statistics that showed companies had filed 232 compensation claims under the Defense Base Act (DBA) for workers killed there, an increase in the fourth quarter of 2004 of 93 percent.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
US and allies 'kill most Iraqis': 60% more non-combatants in Iraq than the insurgents
BBC NEWS | Programmes | Panorama | US and allies 'kill most Iraqis': "BBC One, Sunday, 30 January 2005 at 22:15 GMT |
Coalition and Iraqi troops may be responsible for killing 60% more non-combatants in Iraq than the insurgents, the BBC has learned.
The civilian death toll for the last six months is contained in confidential records obtained by Panorama
...
The figures reveal that 3,274 Iraqi civilians were killed and 12,657 wounded in conflict-related violence during the period.
Of those deaths, 60% - 2,041 civilians - were killed by the coalition and Iraqi security forces. A further 8,542 were wounded by them.
Insurgent attacks claimed 1,233 lives, and wounded 4,115 people, during the same period.
Coalition and Iraqi troops may be responsible for killing 60% more non-combatants in Iraq than the insurgents, the BBC has learned.
The civilian death toll for the last six months is contained in confidential records obtained by Panorama
...
The figures reveal that 3,274 Iraqi civilians were killed and 12,657 wounded in conflict-related violence during the period.
Of those deaths, 60% - 2,041 civilians - were killed by the coalition and Iraqi security forces. A further 8,542 were wounded by them.
Insurgent attacks claimed 1,233 lives, and wounded 4,115 people, during the same period.
Monday, January 24, 2005
The Invasion of Falluja: A Study in the Subversion of Truth
The Invasion of Falluja: A Study in the Subversion of Truth: "The Invasion of Falluja: A Study in the Subversion of Truth | by Mary Trotochaud and Rick McDowell
01/23/05 'Peacework' -- The illegal invasion, occupation, and subsequent violence perpetrated on the people of Iraq has lent considerable evidence to the assertion that truth is the first casualty of war.
...
Falluja should go down in history as a case study on how truth is subverted, co-opted, buried, and ignored. The first US-led siege of Falluja, a city of 300,000 people, resulted in a defeat for Coalition forces. Prior to the second siege in November, its citizens were given two choices: leave the city or risk dying as enemy insurgents. ...
Under threat of a new siege, an estimated 50,000 families or 250,000 people fled Falluja. ....
What of the estimated 50,000 residents who did not leave Falluja? The US military suggested there were a couple of thousand insurgents in the city before the siege, but in the end chose to treat all the remaining inhabitants as enemy combatants.
...
Preliminary estimates are as high as 6,000 Iraqis killed, a third of the city destroyed, and over 200,000 civilians living as refugees. ...
...
During the months of October and November, 338 Iraqis associated with the "new" government or with Americans were assassinated.
...
"In order to save the village, we had to destroy it." This chilling mantra from the Vietnam era is never far from our consciousness.
01/23/05 'Peacework' -- The illegal invasion, occupation, and subsequent violence perpetrated on the people of Iraq has lent considerable evidence to the assertion that truth is the first casualty of war.
...
Falluja should go down in history as a case study on how truth is subverted, co-opted, buried, and ignored. The first US-led siege of Falluja, a city of 300,000 people, resulted in a defeat for Coalition forces. Prior to the second siege in November, its citizens were given two choices: leave the city or risk dying as enemy insurgents. ...
Under threat of a new siege, an estimated 50,000 families or 250,000 people fled Falluja. ....
What of the estimated 50,000 residents who did not leave Falluja? The US military suggested there were a couple of thousand insurgents in the city before the siege, but in the end chose to treat all the remaining inhabitants as enemy combatants.
...
Preliminary estimates are as high as 6,000 Iraqis killed, a third of the city destroyed, and over 200,000 civilians living as refugees. ...
...
During the months of October and November, 338 Iraqis associated with the "new" government or with Americans were assassinated.
...
"In order to save the village, we had to destroy it." This chilling mantra from the Vietnam era is never far from our consciousness.
Friday, January 21, 2005
Dancing the War Away: Bush was taking the oath of office, news wires were churning out stories about the tragic mayhem in Iraq
The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Dancing the War Away: "By BOB HERBERT Published: January 21, 2005
Watching the inaugural ceremonies yesterday reminded me of the scenes near the end of "The Godfather" in which a solemn occasion (a baptism in the movie) is interspersed with a series of spectacularly violent murders.
Even as President Bush was taking the oath of office and delivering his Inaugural Address beneath the clear, cold skies of Washington, the news wires were churning out stories about the tragic mayhem in Iraq. There is no end in sight to the carnage, which was unleashed nearly two years ago by President Bush's decision to launch this wholly unnecessary war, one of the worst presidential decisions in American history.
Incredibly, with more than 1,360 American troops dead and more than 10,000 wounded, and with scores of thousands of Iraqis dead and wounded, the president never once mentioned the word Iraq in his Inaugural Address. He avoided all but the most general references to the war. Lyndon Johnson used to agonize over the war that unraveled his presidency. Mr. Bush, riding the crest of his re-election wave, seems not to be similarly bothered.
Watching the inaugural ceremonies yesterday reminded me of the scenes near the end of "The Godfather" in which a solemn occasion (a baptism in the movie) is interspersed with a series of spectacularly violent murders.
Even as President Bush was taking the oath of office and delivering his Inaugural Address beneath the clear, cold skies of Washington, the news wires were churning out stories about the tragic mayhem in Iraq. There is no end in sight to the carnage, which was unleashed nearly two years ago by President Bush's decision to launch this wholly unnecessary war, one of the worst presidential decisions in American history.
Incredibly, with more than 1,360 American troops dead and more than 10,000 wounded, and with scores of thousands of Iraqis dead and wounded, the president never once mentioned the word Iraq in his Inaugural Address. He avoided all but the most general references to the war. Lyndon Johnson used to agonize over the war that unraveled his presidency. Mr. Bush, riding the crest of his re-election wave, seems not to be similarly bothered.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Film reveals true destruction to ghost city Falluja: bodies (civilians?) laying around
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Film reveals true destruction to ghost city Falluja: "Rory McCarthy in Baghdad | Tuesday January 11, 2005 | The Guardian
Fresh evidence has emerged of the extent of destruction and appalling conditions in Falluja, still deserted two months after a major US offensive against the insurgent stronghold.
Ali Fadhil, an Iraqi journalist working with the Guardian's film unit and one of the few reporters to travel independently to Falluja, describes in a Channel 4 News film tonight a 'city of ghosts' where dogs feed on uncollected corpses.
...
"It is completely devastated," Fadhil writes in the Guardian today. "Falluja used to be a modern city; now there is nothing. We spend that first day going through the rubble that had been the centre of the city; I don't see a single building that is functioning."
...
But in a graveyard, known as the "martyrs cemetery", Fadhil counts only 76 graves. In houses he finds other bodies he suspects were civilians.
"I saw other rotting bodies that showed no sign of being fighters. In one house in the market there were four bodies inside the guestroom," he writes. "In this house there were no bullets in the walls, just four dead men lying curled up beside each other, with bullet holes in the mosquito nets that covered the windows."
The allegations were put to US forces in Baghdad five days ago. There has been no reply.
Fresh evidence has emerged of the extent of destruction and appalling conditions in Falluja, still deserted two months after a major US offensive against the insurgent stronghold.
Ali Fadhil, an Iraqi journalist working with the Guardian's film unit and one of the few reporters to travel independently to Falluja, describes in a Channel 4 News film tonight a 'city of ghosts' where dogs feed on uncollected corpses.
...
"It is completely devastated," Fadhil writes in the Guardian today. "Falluja used to be a modern city; now there is nothing. We spend that first day going through the rubble that had been the centre of the city; I don't see a single building that is functioning."
...
But in a graveyard, known as the "martyrs cemetery", Fadhil counts only 76 graves. In houses he finds other bodies he suspects were civilians.
"I saw other rotting bodies that showed no sign of being fighters. In one house in the market there were four bodies inside the guestroom," he writes. "In this house there were no bullets in the walls, just four dead men lying curled up beside each other, with bullet holes in the mosquito nets that covered the windows."
The allegations were put to US forces in Baghdad five days ago. There has been no reply.
Sunday, January 09, 2005
MSNBC - �The Salvador Option�
MSNBC - �The Salvador Option�: "
The Pentagon may put Special-Forces-led assassination or kidnapping teams in Iraq | WEB EXCLUSIVE |
By Michael Hirsh and John Barry | Newsweek | Updated: 10:22 a.m. ET Jan. 9, 2005
Jan. 8 - What to do about the deepening quagmire of Iraq? The Pentagon’s latest approach is being called "the Salvador option"—and the fact that it is being discussed at all is a measure of just how worried Donald Rumsfeld really is. "What everyone agrees is that we can’t just go on as we are," one senior military officer told NEWSWEEK. "We have to find a way to take the offensive against the insurgents. Right now, we are playing defense. And we are losing." Last November’s operation in Fallujah, most analysts agree, succeeded less in breaking "the back" of the insurgency—as Marine Gen. John Sattler optimistically declared at the time—than in spreading it out.
Now, NEWSWEEK has learned, the Pentagon is intensively debating an option that dates back to a still-secret strategy in the Reagan administration’s battle against the leftist guerrilla insurgency in El Salvador in the early 1980s. Then, faced with a losing war against Salvadoran rebels, the U.S. government funded or supported "nationalist" forces that allegedly included so-called death squads directed to hunt down and kill rebel leaders and sympathizers. Eventually the insurgency was quelled, and many U.S. conservatives consider the policy to have been a success—despite the deaths of innocent civilians and the subsequent Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal. (Among the current administration officials who dealt with Central America back then is John Negroponte, who is today the U.S. ambassador to Iraq. Under Reagan, he was ambassador to Honduras.)
The Pentagon may put Special-Forces-led assassination or kidnapping teams in Iraq | WEB EXCLUSIVE |
By Michael Hirsh and John Barry | Newsweek | Updated: 10:22 a.m. ET Jan. 9, 2005
Jan. 8 - What to do about the deepening quagmire of Iraq? The Pentagon’s latest approach is being called "the Salvador option"—and the fact that it is being discussed at all is a measure of just how worried Donald Rumsfeld really is. "What everyone agrees is that we can’t just go on as we are," one senior military officer told NEWSWEEK. "We have to find a way to take the offensive against the insurgents. Right now, we are playing defense. And we are losing." Last November’s operation in Fallujah, most analysts agree, succeeded less in breaking "the back" of the insurgency—as Marine Gen. John Sattler optimistically declared at the time—than in spreading it out.
Now, NEWSWEEK has learned, the Pentagon is intensively debating an option that dates back to a still-secret strategy in the Reagan administration’s battle against the leftist guerrilla insurgency in El Salvador in the early 1980s. Then, faced with a losing war against Salvadoran rebels, the U.S. government funded or supported "nationalist" forces that allegedly included so-called death squads directed to hunt down and kill rebel leaders and sympathizers. Eventually the insurgency was quelled, and many U.S. conservatives consider the policy to have been a success—despite the deaths of innocent civilians and the subsequent Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal. (Among the current administration officials who dealt with Central America back then is John Negroponte, who is today the U.S. ambassador to Iraq. Under Reagan, he was ambassador to Honduras.)
South of Baghdad: US troops strike ack at the wrong target: 5 Iragi dead (2 police, 3 civilians)
Excite News: "US Troops Kill Iraq Civilians in Botched Strikes | Jan 9, 9:11 AM (ET) | By Matt Spetalnick
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. troops targeted by a roadside bomb mistakenly killed two Iraqi policemen and two bystanders hours after an American warplane bombed the wrong house, exacting a heavy civilian toll, Iraqi officials said.
...
Shortly afterwards, a U.S. military convoy was hit by a explosion near a police checkpoint south of Baghdad in an lawless area known as the "Triangle of Death."
Troops escorting the vehicles struck back but at the wrong target, Interior Ministry spokesman Adnan Abdul-Rahman said. Two police officers and two civilians were killed. He said a fifth Iraqi suffered a heart attack and died at the scene.
...
"Why did these poor people have to die?" lamented Baghdad taxi driver Doraid Abdul Khaliq, 28. "Bombing, shooting and running a tank over cars have all become something normal."
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. troops targeted by a roadside bomb mistakenly killed two Iraqi policemen and two bystanders hours after an American warplane bombed the wrong house, exacting a heavy civilian toll, Iraqi officials said.
...
Shortly afterwards, a U.S. military convoy was hit by a explosion near a police checkpoint south of Baghdad in an lawless area known as the "Triangle of Death."
Troops escorting the vehicles struck back but at the wrong target, Interior Ministry spokesman Adnan Abdul-Rahman said. Two police officers and two civilians were killed. He said a fifth Iraqi suffered a heart attack and died at the scene.
...
"Why did these poor people have to die?" lamented Baghdad taxi driver Doraid Abdul Khaliq, 28. "Bombing, shooting and running a tank over cars have all become something normal."
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Aaytha, south of the city of Mosul: f16 drops 500 pound bomb: Wrong house! 14 Iraqi civlians dead
Excite News: "Several Killed as U.S. Bombs Wrong Target in Iraq | Jan 8, 6:05 PM (ET) | By Namir Noureldine
AAYTHA, Iraq (Reuters) - A U.S. warplane mistakenly bombed a house in northern Iraq on Saturday, killing several people in an attack likely to inflame anti-American anger ahead of controversial elections due at the end of the month.
Furious residents of the village of Aaytha, south of the city of Mosul, said the air strike flattened a villa and killed 14 civilians. Reuters television pictures showed 14 freshly dug graves after the bombing in the early hours of Saturday.
The U.S. military said at least five people died after an F-16 warplane dropped a 500-pound bomb on the wrong target."
AAYTHA, Iraq (Reuters) - A U.S. warplane mistakenly bombed a house in northern Iraq on Saturday, killing several people in an attack likely to inflame anti-American anger ahead of controversial elections due at the end of the month.
Furious residents of the village of Aaytha, south of the city of Mosul, said the air strike flattened a villa and killed 14 civilians. Reuters television pictures showed 14 freshly dug graves after the bombing in the early hours of Saturday.
The U.S. military said at least five people died after an F-16 warplane dropped a 500-pound bomb on the wrong target."
Friday, December 31, 2004
Military -- Deadly year in Iraq has grown worse: attacks up 30%, US deaths up 25%, highest four month period since invasion
SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Military -- Deadly year in Iraq has grown worse as military struggles to adjust tactics: "By Robert Burns | ASSOCIATED PRESS | 10:53 a.m. December 30, 2004
WASHINGTON – By key measures of the level of insurgent violence against American forces in Iraq – numbers of dead, wounded and insurgent attacks – the situation has grown worse since summer.
While those numbers don't tell the full story of the conflict in Iraq, they suggest insurgents are growing more proficient, even as the size of the U.S. force increases and U.S. commanders succeed in soliciting more help from ordinary Iraqis.
For example:
– The U.S. military suffered at least 348 deaths in Iraq over the final four months of the year, more than in any other similar period since the invasion in March 2003.
–The number of wounded surpassed 10,000, with more than a quarter injured in the last four months as direct combat, roadside bombs and suicide attacks escalated. When President Bush declared May 1, 2003, that major combat operations were over, the number wounded stood at just 542.
– The number of attacks on U.S. and allied troops grew from an estimated 1,400 attacks in September to 1,600 in October and 1,950 in November. A year earlier, the attacks numbered 649 in September, 896 in October and 864 in November.
...
U.S. deaths averaged 62 per month through the first half of the year. But since June 28, when U.S. officials restored Iraqi sovereignty and dissolved the U.S. civilian occupation authority, that average has jumped to about 78.
WASHINGTON – By key measures of the level of insurgent violence against American forces in Iraq – numbers of dead, wounded and insurgent attacks – the situation has grown worse since summer.
While those numbers don't tell the full story of the conflict in Iraq, they suggest insurgents are growing more proficient, even as the size of the U.S. force increases and U.S. commanders succeed in soliciting more help from ordinary Iraqis.
For example:
– The U.S. military suffered at least 348 deaths in Iraq over the final four months of the year, more than in any other similar period since the invasion in March 2003.
–The number of wounded surpassed 10,000, with more than a quarter injured in the last four months as direct combat, roadside bombs and suicide attacks escalated. When President Bush declared May 1, 2003, that major combat operations were over, the number wounded stood at just 542.
– The number of attacks on U.S. and allied troops grew from an estimated 1,400 attacks in September to 1,600 in October and 1,950 in November. A year earlier, the attacks numbered 649 in September, 896 in October and 864 in November.
...
U.S. deaths averaged 62 per month through the first half of the year. But since June 28, when U.S. officials restored Iraqi sovereignty and dissolved the U.S. civilian occupation authority, that average has jumped to about 78.
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
42 killed in Iraq: 74 since Sunday (3 days)
42 killed in Iraq: "42 killed in Iraq
28/12/2004 20:06 - (SA)
Samarra - At least 42 people were killed in a string of attacks on Iraqi security forces and other targets on Tuesday after Osama bin Laden declared fugitive Jordanian Islamist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi his 'emir' in the country.
...
The latest bloodshed brought to at least 74 the number of people killed in attacks throughout the country since Sunday evening, including two US soldiers.
28/12/2004 20:06 - (SA)
Samarra - At least 42 people were killed in a string of attacks on Iraqi security forces and other targets on Tuesday after Osama bin Laden declared fugitive Jordanian Islamist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi his 'emir' in the country.
...
The latest bloodshed brought to at least 74 the number of people killed in attacks throughout the country since Sunday evening, including two US soldiers.
Inside Falluja: 'Nothing to come back to': bodies in houses: 60% to 70% of the homes and buildings are completely crushed
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Inside Falluja: 'Nothing to come back to': "Inside Falluja: 'Nothing to come back to'
Scenes of widespread destruction have greeted residents allowed back into the Iraqi city of Falluja following the US assault in November. BBC News spoke to Dr Saleh Hussein Isawi, the acting director of the Falluja general hospital, who accompanied some of the refugees into the city.
At about 0800 on Friday, the US checkpoint in the west of Falluja agreed that people from the city, especially those who live in the Andalus sector, be allowed inside to see their homes.
I was there, inside the city - about 60% to 70% of the homes and buildings are completely crushed and damaged, and not ready to inhabit at the moment.
Of the 30% still left standing, I don't think there is a single one that has not been exposed to some damage.
One of my colleagues... went to see his home, and saw that it is almost completely collapsed and everything is burnt inside.
When he went to his neighbours' home, he found a relative of his was dead and a dog had eaten the meat off him.
...
There is no water, no electricity, no sewage system - there is nothing inside the city, except a very small amount of medical supplies that have come from Falluja hospital by two ambulances.
Scenes of widespread destruction have greeted residents allowed back into the Iraqi city of Falluja following the US assault in November. BBC News spoke to Dr Saleh Hussein Isawi, the acting director of the Falluja general hospital, who accompanied some of the refugees into the city.
At about 0800 on Friday, the US checkpoint in the west of Falluja agreed that people from the city, especially those who live in the Andalus sector, be allowed inside to see their homes.
I was there, inside the city - about 60% to 70% of the homes and buildings are completely crushed and damaged, and not ready to inhabit at the moment.
Of the 30% still left standing, I don't think there is a single one that has not been exposed to some damage.
One of my colleagues... went to see his home, and saw that it is almost completely collapsed and everything is burnt inside.
When he went to his neighbours' home, he found a relative of his was dead and a dog had eaten the meat off him.
...
There is no water, no electricity, no sewage system - there is nothing inside the city, except a very small amount of medical supplies that have come from Falluja hospital by two ambulances.
Pondering the Slaughter of Innocents
Pondering the Slaughter of Innocents: "December 26, 2004 by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune | by Eric Ringham
The day after Christmas is a good time to ponder the slaughter of innocents. Naja Salman, a girl, age 2, killed by gunfire. Razzaq Salman, a boy, age 11, also gunfire. Rafid Georgis, a boy, 10, dead from a car bomb.
It's hard to come by a good estimate of the total number of Iraqi civilians killed in the current war. But it's easy to find descriptions of individual Iraqi dead, thanks in part to Iraqbodycount.net. Name, age, gender, place and cause of death -- it's all there, a memorial to as many victims as the IBC organization can identify.
,,,
In a war against insurgents, you cannot always tell a combatant from a noncombatant, which is one reason for the confusion about the number of civilian victims in Iraq. Most guesses range between 10,000 and 20,000, though other estimates run much higher. The British medical journal Lancet recently suggested the total may be close to 100,000.
...
"War is waged by adults, but it's the children who suffer the most," said UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy in a statement last month. She was talking not about deaths, but about health; severe malnutrition has almost doubled since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.
That's saying something. Prior to the war, one in eight Iraqi children died before the age of 5. Acute malnutrition was reported at 4 percent. Now that figure stands at 7.7 percent, and the Washington Post reports that an estimated 400,000 children are afflicted by "wasting," with chronic diarrhea and other symptoms. Experts blame dirty water. ...
The day after Christmas is a good time to ponder the slaughter of innocents. Naja Salman, a girl, age 2, killed by gunfire. Razzaq Salman, a boy, age 11, also gunfire. Rafid Georgis, a boy, 10, dead from a car bomb.
It's hard to come by a good estimate of the total number of Iraqi civilians killed in the current war. But it's easy to find descriptions of individual Iraqi dead, thanks in part to Iraqbodycount.net. Name, age, gender, place and cause of death -- it's all there, a memorial to as many victims as the IBC organization can identify.
,,,
In a war against insurgents, you cannot always tell a combatant from a noncombatant, which is one reason for the confusion about the number of civilian victims in Iraq. Most guesses range between 10,000 and 20,000, though other estimates run much higher. The British medical journal Lancet recently suggested the total may be close to 100,000.
...
"War is waged by adults, but it's the children who suffer the most," said UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy in a statement last month. She was talking not about deaths, but about health; severe malnutrition has almost doubled since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.
That's saying something. Prior to the war, one in eight Iraqi children died before the age of 5. Acute malnutrition was reported at 4 percent. Now that figure stands at 7.7 percent, and the Washington Post reports that an estimated 400,000 children are afflicted by "wasting," with chronic diarrhea and other symptoms. Experts blame dirty water. ...
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Mosul: mortar attack: 22 dead, 50 wounded
Excite News: "Pentagon Says 22 Killed, 50 Hurt in Mosul Attack | Dec 21, 9:53 AM (ET)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - At least 22 people were killed and 50 others wounded in a rocket and mortar attack against a U.S. military base in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, a Pentagon official said on Tuesday.
The defense official, who asked not to be identified, said it was not yet known how many U.S. troops were among the fatalities in the midday attack on Forward Operating Base Marez. ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - At least 22 people were killed and 50 others wounded in a rocket and mortar attack against a U.S. military base in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, a Pentagon official said on Tuesday.
The defense official, who asked not to be identified, said it was not yet known how many U.S. troops were among the fatalities in the midday attack on Forward Operating Base Marez. ...
Monday, December 20, 2004
US Marines 'Traumatised' By Fallujah Assault: haunted by appalling injuries: had orders to shoot all males of fighting age seen on the streets
US Marines 'Traumatised' By Fallujah Assault: "12-19-4 AFP
NEAR FALLUJAH, Iraq (AFP) - Nearly six weeks after US marines stormed the rebel enclave of Fallujah, military psychologists are still seeing a steady stream of service personnel traumatised by the long days and nights of ferocious street fighting.
...
The marines lost more than 50 dead and hundreds wounded, some of them seriously, in the huge assault launched on November 8, the largest since last year's invasion.
The US-backed government put rebel losses at more than 2,000, although unit commanders later revealed their troops had orders to shoot all males of fighting age seen on the streets, armed or unarmed, and ruined homes across the city attest to a strategy of overwhelming force.
The marines who seek help can be haunted by the sight of appalling injuries, the screams of wounded comrades, the fear of death, or simply the chaotic hell of combat, the psychologists say.
NEAR FALLUJAH, Iraq (AFP) - Nearly six weeks after US marines stormed the rebel enclave of Fallujah, military psychologists are still seeing a steady stream of service personnel traumatised by the long days and nights of ferocious street fighting.
...
The marines lost more than 50 dead and hundreds wounded, some of them seriously, in the huge assault launched on November 8, the largest since last year's invasion.
The US-backed government put rebel losses at more than 2,000, although unit commanders later revealed their troops had orders to shoot all males of fighting age seen on the streets, armed or unarmed, and ruined homes across the city attest to a strategy of overwhelming force.
The marines who seek help can be haunted by the sight of appalling injuries, the screams of wounded comrades, the fear of death, or simply the chaotic hell of combat, the psychologists say.
Sunday, December 19, 2004
Surgical air strikes
US Air strike on Iraqi civilians: "US Air strike on Iraqi civilians
Tall Afar, Falluja, Samarra, Baghdad
www.albasrah.net"
Tall Afar, Falluja, Samarra, Baghdad
www.albasrah.net"
Najaf, Baghdad: insurgent raids: 60 dead, 120 wounded [... US insecurity}
Excite News: "60 Killed, 120 Wounded in Iraq Car Blasts | Dec 19, 9:33 PM (ET) | By ABDUL HUSSEIN AL-OBEIDI
NAJAF, Iraq (AP) - Car bombs tore through a Najaf funeral procession and Karbala's main bus station Sunday, killing at least 60 people and wounding more than 120 in the two Shiite holy cities. In Baghdad, gunmen launched a bold ambush, executing three election officials, in their campaign to disrupt next month's parliamentary ballot.
The deadly strikes highlighted the apparent ability of the insurgents to launch attacks almost at will, despite confident assessments by U.S. military commanders that they had regained the initiative after last month's campaign against militants in Fallujah.
In the Baghdad attack, dozens of guerrillas - unmasked and apparently unafraid to show their faces - ran rampant over Haifa Street, a main downtown thoroughfare. They dragged the three election ...
NAJAF, Iraq (AP) - Car bombs tore through a Najaf funeral procession and Karbala's main bus station Sunday, killing at least 60 people and wounding more than 120 in the two Shiite holy cities. In Baghdad, gunmen launched a bold ambush, executing three election officials, in their campaign to disrupt next month's parliamentary ballot.
The deadly strikes highlighted the apparent ability of the insurgents to launch attacks almost at will, despite confident assessments by U.S. military commanders that they had regained the initiative after last month's campaign against militants in Fallujah.
In the Baghdad attack, dozens of guerrillas - unmasked and apparently unafraid to show their faces - ran rampant over Haifa Street, a main downtown thoroughfare. They dragged the three election ...
Thursday, December 16, 2004
The New York Times > National > A Flood of Troubled Soldiers Is in the Offing, Experts Predict
The New York Times > National > A Flood of Troubled Soldiers Is in the Offing, Experts Predict: "By SCOTT SHANE | Published: December 16, 2004
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 - The nation's hard-pressed health care system for veterans is facing a potential deluge of tens of thousands of soldiers returning from Iraq with serious mental health problems brought on by the stress and carnage of war, veterans' advocates and military doctors say.
An Army study shows that about one in six soldiers in Iraq report symptoms of major depression, serious anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder, a proportion that some experts believe could eventually climb to one in three, the rate ultimately found in Vietnam veterans. Because about one million American troops have served so far in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Pentagon figures, some experts predict that the number eventually requiring mental health treatment could exceed 100,000.
"There's a train coming that's packed with people who are going to need help for the next 35 years," said Stephen L. Robinson, a 20-year Army veteran who is now the executive director of the National Gulf War Resource Center, ...
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 - The nation's hard-pressed health care system for veterans is facing a potential deluge of tens of thousands of soldiers returning from Iraq with serious mental health problems brought on by the stress and carnage of war, veterans' advocates and military doctors say.
An Army study shows that about one in six soldiers in Iraq report symptoms of major depression, serious anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder, a proportion that some experts believe could eventually climb to one in three, the rate ultimately found in Vietnam veterans. Because about one million American troops have served so far in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Pentagon figures, some experts predict that the number eventually requiring mental health treatment could exceed 100,000.
"There's a train coming that's packed with people who are going to need help for the next 35 years," said Stephen L. Robinson, a 20-year Army veteran who is now the executive director of the National Gulf War Resource Center, ...
Monday, December 13, 2004
Amputation Rate for US Troops Twice That of Past Wars
Amputation Rate for US Troops Twice That of Past Wars :: VAIW :: Veterans Against The Iraq War: "By Raja Mishra | Boston Globe, December 9, 2004"
Much attention has focused on the 1,000-plus soldiers killed in Iraq, but the Pentagon has released little information on the 9,765 soldiers injured as of this week.
US troops injured in Iraq have required limb amputations at twice the rate of past wars, and as many as 20 percent have suffered head and neck injuries that may require a lifetime of care, according to new data giving the clearest picture yet of the severity of battlefield wounds.
The data are the grisly flip side of improvements in battlefield medicine that have saved many combatants who would have died in the past: Only 1 in 10 US troops injured in Iraq has died, the lowest rate of any war in US history.
But those who survive have much more grievous wounds. Bulletproof Kevlar vests protect soldiers' bodies but not their limbs, as insurgent snipers and makeshift bombs tear off arms and legs and rip into faces and necks. More than half of those injured sustain wounds so serious they cannot return to duty, according to Pentagon statistics.
Much attention has focused on the 1,000-plus soldiers killed in Iraq, but the Pentagon has released little information on the 9,765 soldiers injured as of this week.
US troops injured in Iraq have required limb amputations at twice the rate of past wars, and as many as 20 percent have suffered head and neck injuries that may require a lifetime of care, according to new data giving the clearest picture yet of the severity of battlefield wounds.
The data are the grisly flip side of improvements in battlefield medicine that have saved many combatants who would have died in the past: Only 1 in 10 US troops injured in Iraq has died, the lowest rate of any war in US history.
But those who survive have much more grievous wounds. Bulletproof Kevlar vests protect soldiers' bodies but not their limbs, as insurgent snipers and makeshift bombs tear off arms and legs and rip into faces and necks. More than half of those injured sustain wounds so serious they cannot return to duty, according to Pentagon statistics.
Thursday, December 09, 2004
US soldiers would kill civilians: estimated his unit killed more than 30 civilians in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad
News: "US soldiers would kill civilians, says Marine | By Andrew Buncombe in Washington | 09 December 2004
A former US Marine has claimed that he saw American troops in Iraq routinely kill unarmed civilians, including women and children. He said he had also witnessed troops killing injured Iraqi insurgents.
Jimmy Massey, 33, a staff sergeant who served in Iraq before being honourably discharged after 12 years' service, said he had seen troops shooting civilians at road blocks and in the street. A code of silence, similar to that found in organised crime gangs, prevented troops from speaking about it.
"We were shooting up people as they got out of their cars trying to put their hands up," said Mr Massey. "I don't know if the Iraqis thought we were celebrating their new democracy. I do know that we killed innocent civilians." Mr Massey said US troops in Iraq were trained to believe that all Iraqis were potential terrorists. As a result, he had watched his colleagues open fire indiscriminately. In one 48-hour period, he estimated his unit killed more than 30 civilians in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad. ...
A former US Marine has claimed that he saw American troops in Iraq routinely kill unarmed civilians, including women and children. He said he had also witnessed troops killing injured Iraqi insurgents.
Jimmy Massey, 33, a staff sergeant who served in Iraq before being honourably discharged after 12 years' service, said he had seen troops shooting civilians at road blocks and in the street. A code of silence, similar to that found in organised crime gangs, prevented troops from speaking about it.
"We were shooting up people as they got out of their cars trying to put their hands up," said Mr Massey. "I don't know if the Iraqis thought we were celebrating their new democracy. I do know that we killed innocent civilians." Mr Massey said US troops in Iraq were trained to believe that all Iraqis were potential terrorists. As a result, he had watched his colleagues open fire indiscriminately. In one 48-hour period, he estimated his unit killed more than 30 civilians in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad. ...
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
More artillery, tanks, machine gun fire, death-dealing fighter planes terminating whole city blocks ...
(DV) hEkLe: Letter from a GI in Falluja: "“This Wasn’t a War, It Was a Massacre” | by hEkLe | www.dissidentvoice.org | December 6, 2004 | First Published in GI Special
...
I was in Falluja during the last two days of the final assault.
My mission was much different from that of the brave and weary infantry and Marines involved in the major fighting.
I was on an escort mission, accompanied by a squad whose task it was to protect a high brass figure in the combat zone.
...
This particularly arrogant officer went to the last battle in the same spirit of an impartial spectator checking out the fourth quarter of a high school football game.
Once we got to the Marine-occupied Camp Falluja and saw artillery being fired into town, the man suddenly became desperate to play an active role in the battle that would render Falluja to ashes. It was already rumored that all he really wanted was his trigger time, perhaps to prove that he is the toughest cowboy west of the Euphrates.
...
The younger soldiers who grew up in relatively peaceful times interpret the mentality of the careerists as one of making up for lost opportunities. To the elder generation of trigger pullers, this is the real deal; the chance to use all the cool toys and high speed training that has been stored away since the ’70s for something tangibly useful...and it’s about goddamn time.
...
The fighter jets were right on time and made their grand appearance with a series of massive air strikes. Between the pernicious bombs and fierce artillery, the sky seemed as though it were on fire for several minutes at a time. First, you would see a blaze of light in the horizon, like lightning hitting a dynamite warehouse, and then hear the massive explosion that would turn your stomach, rattle your eyeballs and compress itself deep within your lungs. Although these massive bombs were being dropped no further than five kilometers away, it felt like it was happening right in front of your face.
...
More artillery, more tanks, more machine gun fire, ominous death-dealing fighter planes terminating whole city blocks at a time...this wasn’t a war, it was a massacre!
As I look back on the air strikes that lasted well into the next morning, I cannot help but be both amazed by our modern technology and disgusted by its means.
...
We reduced Falluja to rubble. We claimed victory and told the world we held Falluja under total and complete control. Our military claimed very few civilian casualties and listed thousands of insurgents dead. CNN and Fox News harped and cheered on the television that the battle of Falluja would go down in history as a complete success, and a testament to the United States’ supremacy on the modern battlefield.
...
hEkLe is a pseudonym for an American soldier currently serving in Iraq. hEkLe and several fellow soldiers have a Web log that they regularly update with essays at www.ftssoldier.blogspot.com.
...
I was in Falluja during the last two days of the final assault.
My mission was much different from that of the brave and weary infantry and Marines involved in the major fighting.
I was on an escort mission, accompanied by a squad whose task it was to protect a high brass figure in the combat zone.
...
This particularly arrogant officer went to the last battle in the same spirit of an impartial spectator checking out the fourth quarter of a high school football game.
Once we got to the Marine-occupied Camp Falluja and saw artillery being fired into town, the man suddenly became desperate to play an active role in the battle that would render Falluja to ashes. It was already rumored that all he really wanted was his trigger time, perhaps to prove that he is the toughest cowboy west of the Euphrates.
...
The younger soldiers who grew up in relatively peaceful times interpret the mentality of the careerists as one of making up for lost opportunities. To the elder generation of trigger pullers, this is the real deal; the chance to use all the cool toys and high speed training that has been stored away since the ’70s for something tangibly useful...and it’s about goddamn time.
...
The fighter jets were right on time and made their grand appearance with a series of massive air strikes. Between the pernicious bombs and fierce artillery, the sky seemed as though it were on fire for several minutes at a time. First, you would see a blaze of light in the horizon, like lightning hitting a dynamite warehouse, and then hear the massive explosion that would turn your stomach, rattle your eyeballs and compress itself deep within your lungs. Although these massive bombs were being dropped no further than five kilometers away, it felt like it was happening right in front of your face.
...
More artillery, more tanks, more machine gun fire, ominous death-dealing fighter planes terminating whole city blocks at a time...this wasn’t a war, it was a massacre!
As I look back on the air strikes that lasted well into the next morning, I cannot help but be both amazed by our modern technology and disgusted by its means.
...
We reduced Falluja to rubble. We claimed victory and told the world we held Falluja under total and complete control. Our military claimed very few civilian casualties and listed thousands of insurgents dead. CNN and Fox News harped and cheered on the television that the battle of Falluja would go down in history as a complete success, and a testament to the United States’ supremacy on the modern battlefield.
...
hEkLe is a pseudonym for an American soldier currently serving in Iraq. hEkLe and several fellow soldiers have a Web log that they regularly update with essays at www.ftssoldier.blogspot.com.
US soldiers in Iraq have nearly a one-in-ten chance of getting killed, physically wounded, or psychologically traumatized
GI Special 2#C33: Marine Fighting Iraq War: "U.S. Casualties Running At 9%
11.27.04 Critical Montages
The total number of casualties is about 25,000, plus the more than 1,200 killed. Since about 300,000 men and women have served in Iraq, it makes for a casualty rate of about 9%. (emphasis added, Editor & Publisher, 'Press Routinely Undercounts U.S. Casualties in Iraq,' November 25, 2004)
In other words, US soldiers deployed in Iraq have nearly a one-in-ten chance of getting killed, physically wounded, or psychologically traumatized."
11.27.04 Critical Montages
The total number of casualties is about 25,000, plus the more than 1,200 killed. Since about 300,000 men and women have served in Iraq, it makes for a casualty rate of about 9%. (emphasis added, Editor & Publisher, 'Press Routinely Undercounts U.S. Casualties in Iraq,' November 25, 2004)
In other words, US soldiers deployed in Iraq have nearly a one-in-ten chance of getting killed, physically wounded, or psychologically traumatized."
Saturday, December 04, 2004
Navy Probes New Iraq Prisoner Photos
Navy Probes New Iraq Prisoner Photos: "Saturday, December 4, 2004 by the Associated Press | by Seth Hettena
CORONADO, Calif. - The U.S. military has launched a criminal investigation into photographs that appear to show Navy SEALs in Iraq sitting on hooded and handcuffed detainees, and photos of what appear to be bloodied prisoners, one with a gun to his head.
Some of the photos have date stamps suggesting they were taken in May 2003, which could make them the earliest evidence of possible abuse of prisoners in Iraq. The far more brutal practices photographed in Abu Ghraib prison occurred months later.
An Associated Press reporter found more than 40 of the pictures among hundreds in an album posted on a commercial photo-sharing Web site by a woman who said her husband brought them from Iraq after his tour of duty. It is unclear who took the pictures, which the Navy said it was investigating after the AP furnished copies to get comment for this story. "
CORONADO, Calif. - The U.S. military has launched a criminal investigation into photographs that appear to show Navy SEALs in Iraq sitting on hooded and handcuffed detainees, and photos of what appear to be bloodied prisoners, one with a gun to his head.
Some of the photos have date stamps suggesting they were taken in May 2003, which could make them the earliest evidence of possible abuse of prisoners in Iraq. The far more brutal practices photographed in Abu Ghraib prison occurred months later.
An Associated Press reporter found more than 40 of the pictures among hundreds in an album posted on a commercial photo-sharing Web site by a woman who said her husband brought them from Iraq after his tour of duty. It is unclear who took the pictures, which the Navy said it was investigating after the AP furnished copies to get comment for this story. "
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