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| Iraq |
| Iraqi terrorists may be taking their families on missions |
| 2003-08-10 |
| The Israelis see this kind of stuff all the time, but our guys are probably not accustomed to seeing it. I suspect the AP reporter wasn’t actually at the scene, that she is relying only on the word of the dead Iraqis’ family members and local people, who may be either pro-Saddam or too afraid to tell the truth. The family members says US troops took the bodies — I wonder whether any bodies actually exist — is this another ploy to collect American compensation? These questions, and more, always come up whenever I read one these newswire stories, given that they’re not known for their neutrality or even their basic competence. It remains an open question whether this incident was completely imaginary or simply a terrorist strike gone awry for the perpetrators. By SCHEHEREZADE FARAMARZI, Associated Press Writer BAGHDAD, Iraq - The night air hung like a hot wet blanket over the north Baghdad suburb of Slaykh. At 9 p.m., an electrical transformer blew up, plunging the neighborhood into darkness. American soldiers, apparently fearing a bomb attack, went on alert. Within 45 minutes, six Iraqis trying to get home before the 11 p.m. curfew were shot and killed by U.S. forces. Anwaar Kawaz, 36, lost her husband and three of four children. "We kept shouting, ’We’re a family! Don’t shoot!’ But no one listened. They kept shooting," she told The Associated Press. When asked about the shootings, Lt. Col. Guy Shields, coalition military spokesman, said, "Our checkpoints are usually marked and our soldiers are trained and disciplined. I will check on that. That is serious." Confronted by daily guerrilla attacks that have claimed 56 American lives since May 1, U.S. troops are on edge. Iraqis complain that many innocent people have died at surprise U.S. checkpoints thrown up on dark streets shortly before the curfew. Drivers hurrying home say they don’t see the soldiers or hear their orders to stop. The Kawaz family left the home of Anwaar’s parents on Bilal Habashi Street at 9:15 p.m. for the 10-minute drive home. They had traveled only a half-mile when they reached the intersection where they said the American bullets took their terrible toll. A few yards in front of them, two soldiers standing near two Humvees were shooting at the family’s white Volkswagen, she said. Two other soldiers near a Humvee to the right of the car also fired, she said. |
| Posted by:Zhang Fei |