Iraqis Vow Revenge for Killings by U.S. Soldiers

[cthrumatrix]

Iraqis Vow Revenge for Killings by U.S. Soldiers
Apology Does Little to Placate Anger
By Rajiv Chandrasekaran
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, September 14, 2003; Page A24


FALLUJAH, Iraq, Sept. 13 -- Hundreds of angry residents sprayed an armory's worth of bullets into the air, brandished rocket-propelled grenade launchers and vowed to initiate a new wave of attacks against American forces during funerals today for eight Iraqi security officers mistakenly killed by U.S. soldiers.

U.S. troops steered clear of this tense Sunni Muslim city along the Euphrates River during the brazen show of force. Police officers and members of a municipal militia, deputized by American commanders to maintain order, joined young boys and middle-aged merchants in firing AK-47 assault rifles to express their outrage at what one officer called "a horrible crime."

This afternoon, about 36 hours after the shooting, the U.S. military issued a statement expressing "deep regret and apologies" for the incident, in which 10 Iraqi security officers and one Jordanian guard were killed. Fallujah's mayor, Taha Bedawi, said U.S. commanders also offered to make "blood money" compensation payments to the victims' families. But those steps did little to mollify people here, even pro-American city officials, who said Fallujah's already bad relationship with the occupation forces had plummeted to a new low.

snip

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6532-2003Sep13.html

[sujan]

1. I support the Iraqis

in their resolve to punish the perpetratrors of this horrible act.

[lazarus]

2. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=113168

[0007]

3. A New Low!!

.............and sneaky dickie will tell the Merikans today how Iraqis love us and how things are going great. He'll be on NBC on one hour. Tim Russert will be the interview.