Posted on 04/06/2003 7:48:22 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
ARBALA, Iraq, April 6 — To the Americans who arrived by tank and helicopter and Humvee, this city 45 miles south of Baghdad began to reveal itself today in hints of a sinister past in captured military archives.
Inside a bombed military headquarters, soldiers found strips of film negatives showing images of people who appeared to have met violent deaths. The images, shown to a reporter, appeared to document injuries on the bodies of three different people. Scores of other negatives kept in the same cabinet appeared to show ordinary work scenes.
Down the hall was a room with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dossiers, with photographs stapled to each one. Someone had made an unsuccessful effort to burn the files before fleeing.
In still another room was electronic equipment that could be used for eavesdropping, explained Capt. Jim Phillips as he led a reporter through the remains of the building.
During the day, four Iraqis came forward to tell soldiers that they had been held prisoner in a jail inside the compound, Captain Phillips said. Other prisoners apparently were held inside the military headquarters. He pointed to a false wall, and rooms in the basement that were about 25 feet by 25 feet.
"One guy says they would cram 100 people in those rooms," Captain Phillips said.
These are early days, but the documents and photographs found here suggest that a gradual process of unearthing the deeds of Saddam Hussein during his 24-year rule has begun. From the documents, some accounting of the degree of his brutality should eventually take form.
Led by the Second Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division, American military forces effectively occupied the entire city of Karbala this morning, the start of the second day of a lopsided battle against scattered paramilitary forces.
One American soldier died late Saturday from a gunshot wound, and seven others were injured. No count of Iraqi dead was available. By late in the day, the percussion of artillery fire had eased. Across the city, people emerged from their homes, and some shops reopened.
Along rural roads east of town, a procession of people on foot, bicycle, and donkey cart all carried the same cargo: fistfuls of live, though not lively, chickens.
A few of the travelers even used the birds as white flags, waving them at American troops.
Chickens that expired in the heat, which hit 106 degrees today, were discarded by the dozens along the roads. The spectacle was mildly baffling, with more than a few Americans assuming that transporting live chickens was some sort of custom on Sundays.
Not at all, one of the residents explained to military officials.
"He told us that one of Saddam Hussein's sons owns a chicken farm or something down the road, and the people went in there and liberated themselves some chickens," said Col. Joe Anderson, the commander of the Second Brigade.
In a spectacle that was slightly more familiar, because it was staged just a few days ago in the city of Najaf, American troops all but demolished a prominent statue of Saddam Hussein. They cut the legs off the statue and tied ropes to it, and locals pulled it down.
In Najaf, the soldiers had tied demolition explosives to a similar statue, then stepped aside to permit a former colonel in the Iraqi Army to detonate the bombs.
The greeting in the city for the troops was often warm, but once again included demands that the Americans restart the electrical plants and make sure water could again flow. A group of residents petitioned for a meeting with military commanders to discuss law and order in the city.
Once again, throngs of people were out on the streets to greet the troops or gawk at them. "Good Mister," young boys and men shouted.
They wanted to know if the Americans in their town would go to Baghdad, and what was happening there. Most of the soldiers had less idea than the townspeople about developments in Baghdad because they are cut off from most news.
A merchant who called himself Muhammad approached a military captain and then a reporter. He asked that the Americans take steps quickly to assert control over the city, saying that order was on the verge of breaking down. There had been some looting, he reported, and the need for water and electricity was urgent. Both had been unavailable for about three days.
He also had a plea for mercy for the remaining fighters.
"These people who are fighting, they come from Syria, Jordan, Yemen and Egypt," Muhammad said. "They are in a wrong situation. They told them in Syria and those places that the Americans were destroying buildings, killing people and children. Saddam and his helpers told them Americans are killing Iraqi people. They get guns, and they are fighting America.
"Please don't kill them," Muhammad said. "Get them a chance to live. Catch them, put them in prison. We want peace and quiet."
"Please don't kill them," Muhammad said. "Get them a chance to live. Catch them, put them in prison. We want peace and quiet."
Uh, if we let these guys live WE won't have any peace and quiet.... unless they have seen the light. I.e., unless there is credible evidence they will return to the home countries and tell the REAL truth and try to set the record straight...that the U.S. and U.K. went out of its way to spare civilians and their property and infrastructure from harm...and generally succeeded at doing so.
These people need help, but the worst thing we could do is send in the U.N. Libya is directing the Human Rights committee, Iraq is heading the disarmament committee....
Then the local Iraqis need to get ahold of them and convince them they're in the wrong. If they do that in time, they can surrender and we'll let them go home. Of course, they can only go home if they tell them the truth at home.
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