US, Iraqis differ on civilian casualties in Ramadi (Marines killed kids)

[Barrett808]

RAMADI, Iraq, May 4 (Reuters) - Iraqi doctors and neighbours in the Sunni Arab city of Ramadi accused U.S. troops of killing children in a missile strike on Thursday but the military said no civilians, only eight insurgents, were killed.

Local television footage showed the body of a boy lying in the rubble of a house. Hospital and police officials gave death tolls ranging from five to 13, with up to another 15 wounded.

Muhannad al-Fahadawi, a doctor at the main hospital, said two girls and a boy aged 8 were among at least 11 people he believed had been killed in the violence. A teenage girl was shown to reporters being treated for wounds in the hospital.

The U.S. military said: "Coalition forces killed eight insurgents when they responded to an insurgent attack in central Ramadi... There were no Coalition or civilian casualties."

Describing the incident, a statement said: "Marines ... were attacked multiple times with rocket-propelled grenades, medium machinegun fire and small arms fire from a building ..."

"Coalition forces responded with small arms fire, heavy machinegun fire, grenades and precision-guided munitions."

(more)

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L04731714.htm

[Divernan]

1. "Precision-guided munitions" means missiles.

More from the article:

Disputes over the identities of those killed in U.S. attacks are not uncommon. U.S. commanders say they go out of their way to avoid civilian casualties and accuse rebels of intentionally operating from crowded neighbourhoods. Many Iraqis say U.S. forces do not take enough care to avoid killing civilians.

"The American troops struck a house with two missiles in Maysaloon Street, then followed them with a third," said one man at the scene, who declined to be named for fear of reprisal."They brought the house down on people's heads."

"Is this the democracy that Bush wants? This is terrorism," he said, venting popular anger at U.S. President George W. Bush.

[Dhalgren]

2. "'This is terrorism,' he said," He's absolutely right.

It makes no difference who is doing the killing or what their "reasons" are. Firing missiles into a building full of civilians or flying a plane into a building full of civilians - they are both acts of terrorism...

[Barrett808]

3. Yes, part of the "oil-spot" strategy...

...which is heavily reliant on air strikes.