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US forces accused of Iraq 'massacre'
Financial Times ^ | December 3, 2003 | Peter Spiegel and Nicolas Pelham

Posted on 12/04/2003 4:07:37 PM PST by Pan_Yans Wife

The US army came under renewed pressure on Wednesday over its conduct in a battle at the weekend in the central Iraqi town of Samarra, as Iran's senior religious leader accused the American forces of "a savage massacre" in which 54 locals were reportedly killed.

The battle, in which US forces attempting to deliver new Iraqi currency to two Samarran banks were ambushed by a small force of insurgents - said by US officials to have been dressed as fighters from Saddam Hussein's fedayeen militia - has led to wildly differing accounts from American military officials and local witnesses.

Hospital officials in Samarra said only eight people were killed, all of them civilians, including one Iranian pilgrim. Samarra is the burial place of two of Shia Islam's most revered imams.

Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, deputy director of operations for coalition forces in Iraq, said he had spoken about the incident on Wednesday to the commander of the division responsible for security in central Iraq, Major General Ray Odierno, but that no investigation had been sought. "He, at this point, believes he has been given the full truth but wants to close out any questions out there," Brig Gen Kimmitt said.

Saadun Isawi, a police official at Samarra hospital, said the facility had received 54 wounded and that the dead included a 73-year-old Iranian pilgrim to the Imam Hadi shrine, a 10-year-old boy and a female employee at Samarra pharmaceutical plant.

Asked about the discrepancy in the numbers of dead, Brig Gen Kimmitt, who said the figure of 54 killed had been arrived at after debriefing troops involved in the action, added: "I can't imagine why the enemy would want to bring a dead body to a hospital."

US officials were at pains to point out that any Iraqi deaths came only after American troops had been ambushed and that the incident had not been instigated as part of the coalition's recently stepped-up offensive operations. They also said conflicting accounts often existed of firefights but that the first rendition from US soldiers engaged in an attack was usually borne out in final reporting. "I trust the reports of my soldiers," said Brig Gen Kimmitt. "The people that attacked those trucks were attacking not only coalition soldiers but were attacking Iraqis trying to provide money for a restored, restabilised, rebuilt Iraq."

According to the official Iranian news agency, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, said "the brutal and arrogant occupiers" had "desecrated" a holy Islamic site. Both the outer perimeter walls of the al-Hadi shrine complex, and the mirrors of the shrine itself were scarred by bullets but it was not clear who had fired them. Locals claimed US soldiers had fired indiscriminately at attackers and civilians alike; an American military official acknowledged that munitions used in the engagement could easily have passed through walls behind combatants.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: alikhamenei; ayatollahkhamenei; iraq; khamenei; mriraq; pyw; samarraattack
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To: Pan_Yans Wife
"....Iran's senior religious leader accused the American forces of "a savage massacre" in which 54 locals were reportedly killed."

Back when America saw clearly the need to defeat the enemy, a cleric like this would have simply disappeared.

21 posted on 12/04/2003 4:45:30 PM PST by NetValue (They are not Americans, they're democrats and fools to boot.)
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To: Radix
Your welcome. That being said. Civilians will get killed in crossfire. Part of war. If this man was indeed a pious old Iranian on a pilgrimage who was gunned down by mistake by our forces- then we should (and we do) compensate the family justly. Guerilla war is ugly gentleman and ladies.

But lets not casually dismiss these claims that Iraqi civilians are being killed in crossfire. They are, nearly every day- by the insurgents more than us I would wager but they are being killed. Let's not be so callous.

This is guerilla war. It is ugly. But don't make it make us ugly either.
22 posted on 12/04/2003 4:53:32 PM PST by Burkeman1
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To: Pan_Yans Wife
If they mean in the sense that when the dumba$$e$ fight us they get massacred, then it's true.
23 posted on 12/04/2003 5:01:53 PM PST by philetus (Keep doing what you always do and you'll keep getting what you always get)
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To: NetValue
Back when America saw clearly the need to defeat the enemy, a cleric like this would have simply disappeared.

Longing for the return of the Clintons, are you?

24 posted on 12/04/2003 5:04:02 PM PST by Grut
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To: Pan_Yans Wife
"I can't imagine why the enemy would want to bring a dead body to a hospital."

Why not? It worked so well in Jenin.

25 posted on 12/04/2003 5:05:10 PM PST by Alouette (My son, the Learned Youngster of Zion)
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To: LindaSOG
Thanks for the ping.
26 posted on 12/04/2003 5:14:58 PM PST by SJackson
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To: Pan_Yans Wife
..... Iran's senior religious leader accused.....

Oh yea, now THERES a reliable source.

STFU, you're next.

27 posted on 12/04/2003 5:20:56 PM PST by DoctorMichael (Thats my story, and I'm sticking to it.)
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Yehuda; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; ...
If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

I feel a remake coming

"Jenin Jenin" "Samarra, Samarra" film exposes Israeli American war crimes

Award-winning documentary film "Jenin Jenin" "Samarra, Samarra" (54 minutes) exposes Israel’sAmerica's war crimes and consistent policy of ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian Iraqi people.

Directed by Michael Moore?

Starring Barbara Streisand as the rubble lady?

Based on the original plot concocted by Ronald Reagan

Screenplay by President James Carter, retired by acclamation

28 posted on 12/04/2003 5:22:03 PM PST by SJackson
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To: Pan_Yans Wife
Have you noticed the news of attacks on the US are way down since this victory?
29 posted on 12/04/2003 5:22:41 PM PST by SeeRushToldU_So (Libs want to take my money, my guns, and my land....then sodimize me.)
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To: Pan_Yans Wife
US forces accused of Iraq 'massacre'

Yeah, right....


30 posted on 12/04/2003 5:26:28 PM PST by BSunday (I'm not the bad guy)
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To: BSunday
I guess a lot of Germans were convinced by similiar photos and posters that they "helped" the Poles or the "Russians" (and they did have them= showing how the "people" loved them.) I am not saying we are anything like the Germans in WWII. But for heavens sake man- don't post one picture and use it as a response to criticism in the place of argument. Such photos are a dime a dozen. The photots and film you want to see about Iraq will only be shown on the History Channel 50 years from now just like WWII.
31 posted on 12/04/2003 5:43:32 PM PST by Burkeman1
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To: Burkeman1
So....the soldier in the pic reminded you of a Nazi ??
32 posted on 12/04/2003 5:55:19 PM PST by BSunday (I'm not the bad guy. Anybody who disagrees with me is.)
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To: Burkeman1
Prepare to be shocked...

Click Here

33 posted on 12/04/2003 5:59:07 PM PST by BSunday (I'm not the bad guy. Anybody who disagrees with me is.)
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To: BSunday
How do we write the soldiers? Do they allow strangers to write to them?
34 posted on 12/04/2003 6:18:43 PM PST by sunryse
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To: BSunday
Shocked by what? Photos of soldiers stroking kitties and at prayer? Seriously? You don't think Germans stroked kitties on their tanks or had group prayers? You don't think Sadaam's men did? Russians soldiers did? Soldiers are soldiers. Are you that tammed by images? What if I were to show you images of children killed by American troops? Old men and Women? Entire families? The blood, the body parts, the mess, the stink? Would that change your view? It shouldn't for that is war! For every image of a soldier cuddling a kitten there are 100 of them dealing with carnage, chaos, depression, guilt, lonliness, terror, and rage. My God, I see how a person could be so influened by only positive images only. You would have loved Goebbels and been a fanatic IMHO after your last two posts.
35 posted on 12/04/2003 6:21:58 PM PST by Burkeman1
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To: Burkeman1
You would have loved Goebbels and been a fanatic IMHO after your last two posts.

Time to say goodnight.

36 posted on 12/04/2003 6:24:49 PM PST by Billthedrill
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To: Billthedrill; BSunday
The Goebbels reference was over the top and uncalled for. Sorry to BSunday (and to you Billthedrill- opinionated but always fair.)
37 posted on 12/04/2003 6:32:27 PM PST by Burkeman1
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To: sunryse; Ragtime Cowgirl
How do we write the soldiers? Do they allow strangers to write to them?

Some links for email to troops

Letters, Small Packages Get to Troops Quicker

38 posted on 12/04/2003 6:35:23 PM PST by dighton
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To: Pan_Yans Wife
These guys don't understand how lucky they are that we don't really take them seriously. We're too nice, and that may have to end if we are to survive.
39 posted on 12/04/2003 6:37:02 PM PST by thoughtomator (The U.N. is a terrorist organization)
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To: Burkeman1
When does kneejerk disestablishmentarianism become hatred of America and support for the enemy?
Just a question to ponder.
40 posted on 12/04/2003 6:53:01 PM PST by rmlew (Peaceniks and isolationists are objectively pro-Terrorist)
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