Publish to Newswire
Add an EventFrom the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
American Soldiers Caught On Film Gunning Down Protest In Fallujah
City officials who witnessed the gunfire said they saw or heard no shooting from among the protesters.
US troops open fire again on Fallujah crowd
By Charles J Hanley, AP
30 April 2003
US troops opened fire today on anti-American demonstrators for the second time this week, during a march to protest about the previous shootings. At least one person was reported to have been killed and 16 wounded.
The gunfire came less than 48 hours after a shooting during a demonstration on Monday night that hospital officials said killed 13 Iraqis.
The clashes in Fallujah, a conservative Sunni Muslim city and Baath Party stronghold 30 miles west of Baghdad, reflect the area's increasing tensions as American troops try to keep the peace in Iraq.
About 1,000 residents were marching down Fallujah's main street and stopped in front of a battalion headquarters of the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division, in a compound formerly occupied by Saddam Hussein's Baath Party. The demonstrators were carrying signs condemning Monday night's shooting.
Protesters started throwing rocks and shoes at the compound and troops opened fire about 10:30 a.m. (0630 GMT), scattering the demonstrators. Demonstrators then returned to pick up the wounded.
Medical staff at the Fallujah hospital said a 30-year-old man was killed, another man was in critical condition and 15 others were wounded.
Some witnesses said the gunfire appeared to come from within the compound, but Maj. Michael Marti, an intelligence officer for the division's 2nd Brigade, said the soldiers in a passing convoy fired on the crowd. "My understanding is that there was no fire from the compound."
As the convoy was passing, the demonstrators "started throwing rocks and then at one point, they (soldiers) were engaged by what they believed was an AK-47" and opened fire, Marti said.
City officials who witnessed the gunfire said they saw or heard no shooting from among the protesters.
US Apache attack helicopters circled the site throughout the march and the aftermath, but did not open fire. US officers were meeting with Fallujah mayor Taha Bedaiwi al-Alwani and leading area sheiks.
"Why? The demonstrators didn't use guns, so why should the soldiers start attacking them?" asked the imam of the Grand Fallujah Mosque, Jamal Shaqir Mahmood.
He said the Americans should pull out of Fallujah - or at least cut back their forces.
"There is no (Iraqi) military presence here. Why is there an American military presence? We just want a reduction in the numbers," he said.
Fallujah is site of factories suspected of being linked to banned weapons programs for Saddam Hussein's regime.
Americans and Iraqis have given sharply differing accounts of Monday night's shooting. US forces insisted they opened fire only upon armed men - about 25 infiltrators among the protest crowd of 200, according to Col. Arnold Bray, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, 325 Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Protesters insisted their demonstration was unarmed and peaceful.
Dr Ahmed Ghandim al-Ali, director of Fallujah's general hospital, said the clash on Monday killed 13 Iraqis - including three young boys - and injured about 75. Some residents put the death toll higher, at 15.
No American was injured.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=401798
pics from
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030430/168/3xs3k.html
By Charles J Hanley, AP
30 April 2003
US troops opened fire today on anti-American demonstrators for the second time this week, during a march to protest about the previous shootings. At least one person was reported to have been killed and 16 wounded.
The gunfire came less than 48 hours after a shooting during a demonstration on Monday night that hospital officials said killed 13 Iraqis.
The clashes in Fallujah, a conservative Sunni Muslim city and Baath Party stronghold 30 miles west of Baghdad, reflect the area's increasing tensions as American troops try to keep the peace in Iraq.
About 1,000 residents were marching down Fallujah's main street and stopped in front of a battalion headquarters of the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division, in a compound formerly occupied by Saddam Hussein's Baath Party. The demonstrators were carrying signs condemning Monday night's shooting.
Protesters started throwing rocks and shoes at the compound and troops opened fire about 10:30 a.m. (0630 GMT), scattering the demonstrators. Demonstrators then returned to pick up the wounded.
Medical staff at the Fallujah hospital said a 30-year-old man was killed, another man was in critical condition and 15 others were wounded.
Some witnesses said the gunfire appeared to come from within the compound, but Maj. Michael Marti, an intelligence officer for the division's 2nd Brigade, said the soldiers in a passing convoy fired on the crowd. "My understanding is that there was no fire from the compound."
As the convoy was passing, the demonstrators "started throwing rocks and then at one point, they (soldiers) were engaged by what they believed was an AK-47" and opened fire, Marti said.
City officials who witnessed the gunfire said they saw or heard no shooting from among the protesters.
US Apache attack helicopters circled the site throughout the march and the aftermath, but did not open fire. US officers were meeting with Fallujah mayor Taha Bedaiwi al-Alwani and leading area sheiks.
"Why? The demonstrators didn't use guns, so why should the soldiers start attacking them?" asked the imam of the Grand Fallujah Mosque, Jamal Shaqir Mahmood.
He said the Americans should pull out of Fallujah - or at least cut back their forces.
"There is no (Iraqi) military presence here. Why is there an American military presence? We just want a reduction in the numbers," he said.
Fallujah is site of factories suspected of being linked to banned weapons programs for Saddam Hussein's regime.
Americans and Iraqis have given sharply differing accounts of Monday night's shooting. US forces insisted they opened fire only upon armed men - about 25 infiltrators among the protest crowd of 200, according to Col. Arnold Bray, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, 325 Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Protesters insisted their demonstration was unarmed and peaceful.
Dr Ahmed Ghandim al-Ali, director of Fallujah's general hospital, said the clash on Monday killed 13 Iraqis - including three young boys - and injured about 75. Some residents put the death toll higher, at 15.
No American was injured.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=401798
pics from
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030430/168/3xs3k.html
Add Your Comments
Latest Comments
Listed below are the latest comments about this post.
These comments are submitted anonymously by website visitors.
TITLE
AUTHOR
DATE
Hmmm
Wed, Apr 30, 2003 8:42PM
US Has No Shame
Wed, Apr 30, 2003 9:35AM
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Donate
$210.00 donated
in the past month
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network