Tribal revenge fuels Fallujah's rage

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/news.asp?ArticleID=102266

In the epicentre of anti-American fury in Iraq, US troops with machineguns comb alleyways for Saddam Hussain loyalists, hoping to prevent deadly new attacks on their units.

But people in Fallujah, 50km west of Baghdad, say the men firing rocket-propelled grenades at occupation forces are just ordinary taxi drivers, labourers and professionals avenging the deaths of relatives.

With all its high-tech weapons, the US military has overlooked what rules the gritty streets of this town where it has faced many of the most deadly attacks against its troops – the tribal code of revenge.

"Saddam's people have nothing to do with Americans killed in Fallujah. If you want to know why we hate the Americans so mu-ch in Fallujah, look at this," said Muthanna Salih, pulling up the flowing robe covering his stump as he balanced on crutches.

"I was in my house when the Americans started sho-oting. They hit my leg, they killed my brother and they left me jobless with eight children." Sixteen other people were also killed in that incident in April, when US troops fired into crowds of protesters just outside Salih's house.
<snip>
What is it about this that Bushco doesn't understand?

[leftofthedial]

1. "What is it about this that Bushco doesn't understand?"

EVERYTHING

[IndianaGreen]

2. The Fallujah massacre (It was our GIs that started the blood feud!)

It was our GIs that started the blood feud in Fallujah!

To remind you, the pictures were posted in DU at the time there was a demonstration about the closing of a school in Fallujah. The crowd started to throw rocks when a GI manning a .50 cal atop a Humvee swung around to avoid a rock, but he had his finger on the trigger firing indiscriminately on the crowd. I believe there were about 75 casualties among the Iraqi civilians. Pictures and news stories (from the British press, who was there) were posted and discussed in DU. The incident happened shortly after Saddam's fall, and during the brief period of euphoria that followed it.

Here are a couple of articles published shortly after the incident that started the blood feud in Fallujah that culminated with Iraqis of all ages dancing in the streets at the sight of the Chinook that was downed by a missile.

It's the Occupation, stupid!

The Fallujah massacre
By Alan Woods

"It has been about 20 years since I was last here and I am just looking forward to looking our boys in the eye and telling them what a great job they have done here." (Donald Rumsfeld, in Baghdad this morning.)

The whole world can now see the real nature of the Anglo-American occupation of Iraq. On Monday at least 13 were killed and an unknown number wounded when US soldiers opened fire on a crowd of unarmed demonstrators who were protesting against the occupation of a local school by the US army. Despite the claims of the Americans that they were fired upon by the demonstrators there is not a shred of evidence to support this.

Last night BBC television carried harrowing pictures of the scene of the massacre in Fallujah, a dust-blown Sunni Muslim trucking town 35 miles west of Baghdad. The BBC's correspondent on the spot was in no doubt that the American soldiers had fired indiscriminately into the crowd, hitting houses in a residential area and killing civilians who were still indoors and had not even participated in the demonstration. By contrast, there was not a single bullet mark on the school and no American soldier had been injured. This was a massacre, pure and simple.

Iraqi doctors and city officials say that 13 people were killed and many more injured. The US military speaks of up to 10 deaths but admits that it is "possible" the figure is 13. The final death toll may be far higher. The report in today's Independent describes the scene of mayhem in the town: "Large patches of congealed blood. Discarded shoes scattered in terror. Angry Iraqi neighbours and wailing relatives, recounting a tale of the random killing of young men whose only crime was to demand that their new, heavily armed masters leave the neighbourhood."

http://www.marxist.com/MiddleEast/fallujah_massacre.html

Published on Wednesday, April 30, 2003 by the Boston Globe
US, Iraqis at Odds on Protesters' Deaths
by Elizabeth Neuffer

FALLUJAH, Iraq - Angry Iraqis accused US troops yesterday of killing at least 13 people when they fired on protesters in this city west of Baghdad in one of the worst clashes between civilians and American forces in the US-led war on Iraq.

A pool of blood stained the sand yesterday near the elementary school where the shooting occurred Monday night, evidence that US bullets found their mark. But little else was clear about the shooting, with residents and US soldiers offering contradictory accounts.

Local officials and neighbors said that US troops shot without provocation at a peaceful demonstration aimed at getting the soldiers to evacuate the school they had been occupying since Friday, so children could return to classes.

''This was random shooting without justification,'' said city councilman Sabah al-Rawi, 41, pointing out bullet holes in the walls of a home near the school.

But US forces said armed demonstrators infiltrated the crowd and threw rocks, chanted pro-Saddam Hussein slogans, and fired AK-47s at soldiers.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0430-09.htm

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

3. Thanks for your great recall! I remember that clearly, just did not

put it with Fallujah.

Travesty.