Military aplogizes for killing 8 Iraqi policemen

[flavio]

FALLUJAH, Iraq - Angry mourners swarmed this central Iraqi city Saturday, firing into the air, attacking journalists and cursing the American occupation as they followed the flag-draped coffins of eight Iraqi police killed in a friendly fire incident involving U.S. troops.

The U.S. military apologized Saturday for the shooting that killed nine people — the eight Iraqis and a Jordanian guard — and badly damaged a hospital. U.S. troops only opened fire after they were attacked "by unknown forces," the military said.

But the explanation did not defuse the anger washing over Fallujah, a city of 200,000 in Iraq (news - web sites)'s most troubled region. The shooting was the worst case of friendly fire since major hostilities in Iraq were declared over May 1, and it served to intensify talk here of the heavy-handedness of American troops.

"We have had enough of the Americans killing us and then just saying 'Oh, sorry!'" said Salam Mohammed, 60, a Fallujah resident and a relative of some of the victims.

"We want the Americans to leave our country because they have brought us only death," said Taleb Hameed, a 30-year-old schoolteacher. "We are fed up with their apologies. We will continue our resistance."

More...........

 

[markjs]

FALLUJAH, Iraq - Angry mourners swarmed this central Iraqi city Saturday, firing into the air, attacking journalists and cursing the American occupation as they followed the flag-draped coffins of eight Iraqi police killed in a friendly fire incident involving U.S. troops.

The U.S. military apologized Saturday for the shooting that killed nine people — the eight Iraqis and a Jordanian guard — and badly damaged a hospital. U.S. troops only opened fire after they were attacked "by unknown forces," the military said.

But the explanation did not defuse the anger washing over Fallujah, a city of 200,000 in Iraq (news - web sites)'s most troubled region. The shooting was the worst case of friendly fire since major hostilities in Iraq were declared over May 1, and it served to intensify talk here of the heavy-handedness of American troops.

"We have had enough of the Americans killing us and then just saying 'Oh, sorry!'" said Salam Mohammed, 60, a Fallujah resident and a relative of some of the victims.

"We want the Americans to leave our country because they have brought us only death," said Taleb Hameed, a 30-year-old schoolteacher. "We are fed up with their apologies. We will continue our resistance."

More...........

Just goes to show why the military prescence should be ended or at least scaled back as quickly as possible.

 

[Justintime]

"oh, we killed you while we live and prosper?" really sorry about that.. oh whats that? someone crying collateral damage? life is meaningless to some people..someone should ask all the dead people how they feel about this sorrid mess..

 

[Gonz]

I suppose this part was overlooked?

U.S. troops only opened fire after they were attacked "by unknown forces," the military said.

 

[Justintime]

So this justifies blazing out 9 peoples lives? Trigger happy, shoot anything that moves.. oh wait its all right cause thats the way it is innit? Don't get me wrong, i know i haven't been in a war and tensions will be high, but for god sakes how many people are gonna needlessy die over this shit, while the texas boy sits back and fucking reaps the benefits of attacking a country they STILL haven't proven has hidden weapons, or wait has the reason for attacking Iraq changed this week?

 

[markjs]

Yeah I believe anything the Army says....

 

[Gonz]

how many people are gonna needlessy die...

How many must die before somebody does something to stop terrorism/dictators/tyrants? How many planes must we allow to attack before we end it? How many innocents should die before we stop them? HOW GODDAMN MANY??? This is war son, not a walk in the park. These awful trigger happy soldiers are protecting YOUR way of life. Don't believe me? Think I'm overstating the matter? You're a smart guy, use your head. Just exactly how bad off would this world be if the US did what you & people like you want & became an isolationist country? The last time we tried that you got this:

We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.

 

[markjs]

How many must die before somebody does something to stop terrorism/dictators/tyrants? How many planes must we allow to attack before we end it? How many innocents should die before we stop them? HOW GODDAMN MANY??? This is war son, not a walk in the park. These awful trigger happy soldiers are protecting YOUR way of life. Don't believe me? Think I'm overstating the matter? You're a smart guy, use your head. Just exactly how bad off would this world be if the US did what you & people like you want & became an isolationist country? The last time we tried that you got this:

Thats's such a load o' crap it stinks from here.

The United States actively supports regimes that wage campaigns of terror on their own people...So long as they are politcally agreeable to us.

The war on Iraq had about as much to do with saving Iraq from opression, as an election where the popular vote loses the campaign has to do with fairness. We went into Iraq for to poically stabilize the region by seizing the contry to serve our own interests. I am so tired of you self righteous conservatives spreading your lies about how we care so much about oppression.

 

[Gonz]

Thats's such a load o' crap it stinks from here.

The United States actively supports regimes that wage campaigns of terror on their own people...So long as they are politcally agreeable to us.

The war on Iraq had about as much to do with saving Iraq from opression, as an election where the popular vote loses the campaign has to do with fairness. We went into Iraq for to poically stabilize the region by seizing the contry to serve our own interests. I am so tired of you self righteous conservatives spreading your lies about how we care so much about oppression.

Campaigns of terror on their own people? Name 'em. (no help from teh peanut gallery, please)

Popular vote...-Read the Constitution dumbass.

We went into Iraq for to poically stabilize the region by seizing the contry to serve our own interests.

ding ding ding ding WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

I am so tired of you pompous socialists spreading your lies about how we are an awful, greedy & corrupt people and our country isn't the greatest in mankinds history.

 

[markjs]

Campaigns of terror on their own people? Name 'em. (no help from teh peanut gallery, please)

Where to start? We have backed opressive regimes in El Salvador, The Phillipines, Saudi Arabia, Isreal (granted in the case of isreal there genocide is in response to genocide). We supported Terrorists in Nicaragua because we didn't agree with their government....And our Republican regime did that with funding from arms they sold illegally to Iran. And it's still is unfathomable that nobody really had to answer for that. I am sure there are many other circumstances where we have backed opressive regimes but I am just going off the top of my head here.

Popular vote...-Read the Constitution dumbass.

I know full well the constitution jackass.....I also know it's a work in progress and there are things that really should be amended about it. Why should some guy who lives in rural Wyoming have a more powerful vote than a guy who lives in NYC?


ding ding ding ding WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

So then you agree that the war has nothing to do with truth justice and the American way, but is about power money and political gains?

I am so tired of you pompous socialists spreading your lies about how we are an awful, greedy & corrupt people and our country isn't the greatest in mankinds history.

Look asshole I am not a socialist, and I don't think that we as a nation are all greedy and corrupt, and I agree that we are a great nation. That doesn't make us king shit like you conservative idots think either.

 

[Gonz]

Why should some guy who lives in rural Wyoming have a more powerful vote than a guy who lives in NYC?

He doesn't. That is the entire purpose behind the electoral system. Why should a guy in NYC have a more powerful vote than a guy in WY?

I also know it's a work in progress

Look asshole I am not a socialist

Yea, you are. Everything you've spouted in the last two days points to socialism.

 

[markjs]

Where to start? We have backed opressive regimes in El Salvador, The Phillipines, Saudi Arabia, Isreal (granted in the case of isreal there genocide is in response to genocide). We supported Terrorists in Nicaragua because we didn't agree with their government....And our Republican regime did that with funding from arms they sold illegally to Iran. And it's still is unfathomable that nobody really had to answer for that. I am sure there are many other circumstances where we have backed opressive regimes but I am just going off the top of my head here.

Your doing what conservttives do best....change the subject when the heat gets hot.

 

[markjs]

BTW the way the current system works it gives more electoral votes per capita to rural and small states, versus less per capita to large populous states, so yes indeed it does mean that one vote in wyoming has more power than one vote in NYC. in part this system made things easier in times bfore the computer age. There is no real reason for that system to remain in place other than thats how we always used to do it.

At very least the current system needs to be recalculated to better reflect the actual populace being represented.

 

[Squiggy]

Methinks there be a bit too many personal attacks being levied here...Lets calm ourselves before someone breaks out the tranqualizer gun...markjs, as one who has argued many points with Gonz, I know that the discussion is whats important to him. Not winning. (Must be. He never wins. ) Theres no need to throw insults if your argument is sound. Just my opinion...carry on...

 

[ris]

gonz - you know the rules on use of terminology like communist and socialist outside direct debates on thier subject.

mark - you will find my patience equally short on unecessary references to conservatism, if you don't want to be branded with a label i think best not to turn them out yourself.

as for the subject of the post from what has been put in the media here it looks like a dreadful mistake. iraq is a country still riddled with instability and in conditions like that accidents like this can and will happen.

i head that an armed carjacker was being chased by 3 vehicles with armed iraqi police forces. they ran a roadblock and the us military opened fire, asuming the four vehicles were all hostile. when the iraqi police took refuge near a local hospital the firefight continued until the police forces inside had killed 8 policemen and a jordanian soldier guarding the hospital. bbc

its all very tragic and some will point to previous made accusations that us forces are trigger happy with a shoot first ask questions later approach. the place is chaotic, after months of being shot at i'm sure most people would bog down into that mentality. professional soldiers in thier positions could perhaps be hoped to try to not use the firepower as much as possible but this is an imperfect place.

it is very sad and will do little to help the us forces win over local people and convince them of the good that will come from their being there. but until the police have proper uniforms, nighttime identification or an ability to communicate with the military this sort of incident is going to happen.

perhaps more thought into how best to improve that communication and preventing future freindly fire incidents is needed, so that a repeat cannot happen.

 

[ris]

oh, and mark is kinda right about the us supporting dictatorships that suit its needs. nicaragua, chile [pinochet in through cia supported coup], saddam hussein [not a problem until he invaded kuwait].

in the past there does seem to have been a blind eye taken to the actions of regimes or people that were the enemy of our enemy. i hope that those days are now over.

 

[AnomalousEntity]

"oh, we killed you while we live and prosper?" really sorry about that.. oh whats that? someone crying collateral damage? life is meaningless to some people..someone should ask all the dead people how they feel about this sorrid mess..

Well obviously we cant ask the dead people, but you can asks the children, wives, husbands, parents, friends and co workers of the 3,000+ innocent americans who were needlessly slaughter while minding their own buisness how they feel about the war on terrorism and weather terrorism is a legitimate threat worth fighting.

Im also pretty sure there are some people in the heart land who may have an opinion on this.

Now, someone made a good point that we allow these sons of bitches to stay in power as long as it suits our needs. Let me say that I am 100% against that. I dont think we should pick and choose, I think we should publically denounce, embargo, and assasinate any tyrannical dictator who condones terrorism, persecutes its people, over taxes its people, and rules under martial law/military power.

We should take equally agressive action in American towards any politician who wants to raise taxes, ban freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, the right of women to choose abortion, the right for gay/lesbians to live freely, and protection from our own police forces such as the 4th and 5th ammendments.

 

[markjs]

When will people stop insisting that the war on iraq was a strike on Al Queada? There is absolutely zero proven connection to date.

 

[markjs]

Now, someone made a good point that we allow these sons of bitches to stay in power as long as it suits our needs. Let me say that I am 100% against that. I dont think we should pick and choose, I think we should publically denounce, embargo, and assasinate any tyrannical dictator who condones terrorism, persecutes its people, over taxes its people, and rules under martial law/military power.

So we should stop supporting the Saudi regime, among others....possibly Isreal...I wish we would but in that region power, oil, and money make us make compromises that are just plain wrong.

 

[ris]

it should be noted that links between the prior iraqi regime and al qaeda are generally accepted by analysts as being non-existent or unlikely.

un commitee finds no links between iraq and al-qaeda
terrorism expert dismisses link between hussein regime and al-qaeda