The real story of Baghdad's Bloody Sunday

[bemildred]

Source: Independent.UK

---

The reports we got from members of the public, Iraqi security personnel and government officials, as well as our own research, leads to a markedly different scenario than the American version. There was a bomb blast. But it was too far away to pose any danger to the Blackwater guards, and their State Department charges. We have found no Iraqi present at the scene who saw or heard sniper fire.

Witnesses say the first victims of the shootings were a couple with their child, the mother and infant meeting horrific deaths, their bodies fused together by heat after their car caught fire. The contractors, according to this account, also shot Iraqi soldiers and police and Blackwater then called in an attack helicopter from its private air force which inflicted further casualties.

---

Those on the receiving end tell another story. Mr Salman said he had turned into Nisoor Square behind the Blackwater convoy when the shooting began. He recalled: "There were eight foreigners in four utility vehicles, I heard an explosion in the distance and then the foreigners started shouting and signalling for us to go back. I turned the car around and must have driven about a hundred feet when they started shooting. My car was hit with 12 bullets it turned over. Four bullets hit me in the back and another in the arm. Why they opened fire? I do not know. No one, I repeat no one, had fired at them. The foreigners had asked us to go back and I was going back in my car, so there was no reason for them to shoot."

Muhammed Hussein, whose brother was killed in the shooting, said: "My brother was driving and we saw a black convoy ahead of us. Then I saw my brother suddenly slump in the car. I dragged him out of the car and saw he had been shot in the chest. I tried to hide us both from the firing, but then I realised he was already dead."

Read more: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2984819.ece

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Mission Accomplished, Blackwater.

A great job of keeping the insurgency going by creating more insurgents.

[peacetalksforall]

Perhaps it was just a mercenary practice session. With all due sarcasm.

Our country. So ugly. So deadly. So unChristian.

[bemildred]

2. Paranoia strikes deep

Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
Step outta line, the men come, and take you away

http://www.guitaretab.com/b/buffalo-springfield/2575.html

[amandabeech]

24. The more things change, the more they really do stay the same.

Between this madness and Jena, it's been deja-vu all over again.

Say, didn't we knock off the Iranian government back in the '50s?

[bemildred]

25. Doesn't seem like we've learned a thing.

In fact it seems like we are fighting tooth and nail to avoid learning anything.

[amandabeech]

26. It's no wonder things are falling apart.

A lot of people are really upset, too, and nobody is really talking about it in public, particularly not our political types. That is a HUGE problem. When upsets are allowed to fester like that, all kinds of bad consequences happen.

Back in the '70s, I started talking about the importance of jobs in keeping the social and political fabric of the U.S. I was laughed out of one of our nation's finest grad schools, and accused of being a hideous POPULIST by a member of one of our great Democratic political families. Now look at it.

Ten years ago, I told a friend that it was time to talk about what it meant to be an American once again. He told me I was crazy and then proceeded to tell me why the U.S. had to become a salad bowl with white European-descended U.S. citizens as one of many minorities. Ten years later and no coherent conversation.

Over in the I/P forum last week, I think, you said something about guns. I've been thinking the same thing for a couple of years. I think that we're thinking the same thing.

It's a republic, but we're not keeping it.

[bemildred]

27. Yeah. I hear you.

I'm in my 60s, and one of the best reasons I have to live as long as I can is just to watch the show. I think it's going to be one heck of a show, the next decade or two.

I think one reason our Congress-critters don't want to censure or impeach Bush is because they know they would be impeaching themselves too, they voted for all of it.

[amandabeech]

28. Early '50s here.

I want to outlive the Shrub so that I can read real historical critique of his disastrous reign.

I think that our congresscritters are afraid that they won't be re-elected, but the way they're going now, I wonder just how strong primary opponents will be for Dems and Reps because nobody is getting anything done.


Clinton's impeachment derailed the government for four years, but the way Congress looks now, there's not much to derail.

With Iraq, I opposed it right from the get go, but frankly, I don't see any good ways of getting out and keeping Iraq from dissolving into a three-way civil war with interventions from Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

I think that Kerrey's long-ago question about which soldier will be the last to die for a lie (or something like that) rules the day.

Everyone's going to have to forget about annexing the oil, helping Israel, assuaging egos and out-shining Daddy.

We will at least get Daddy out of the equation in 2009, even if the others are still there.

[scarletwoman]

3. "...a markedly different scenario than the American version." Not surprising, since truth is ALWAYS

a markedly different scenario than the American version.

k&r -- thanks for posting this, I hope it gets some attention.

sw

[MisterP]

4. link's broken, alas

[bemildred]

6. It's working for me.

Not saying you are wrong ...

[MisterP]

7. now it works for me--guess everyone was jumping on

and as for the story, I'm completely unsurprised--which is probably the most horrifying of all, existentially

[scarletwoman]

8. I had to try it 3 times before it worked -- but it did indeed work, finally. (nt)

[rodeodance]

5. Rice has no control over this situation-the truth is OUT. pass it around.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

9. REVOKE THE CITIZENSHIP OF BALCKWATER GOONS

THEY ARE JUST IN IT FOR THE MONEY.

[superkia]

10. All for money and profit. Those who voted for it have no right...

to even be considered a candidate for president of the United States. This nonsense is still happening and it is unforgivable to me. I don't see how so many people support candidates that voted for this war and kept giving them more ammo when asked. It is unconscionable to me, I cant give them my support without thinking of the thousands of lives lost and the ones still everyday. My vote will go for the long shot, sea biscuit. He saw that the war was about oil back in 2002 when the rest of the candidates stood with Bush and the corporations looking to gain from death. I respect him for being able to stand up against the system and speak the truth.

[dbt]

11. What's up with all these Godless Socialist BRIT SOURCES?!?!?

Don't y'all trust our Great Murkin New$ Media to tell us the TRUTH?!?!1

Why does ENGLAND hate America!!!!

(Oops. Never mind...)

:evilgrin:

[scarletwoman]

12. Let's get this to the front page...

[bluerum]

13. Turns. My. Stomach.

[davepc]

14. A common tactic is for the insurgents to fire a shot from a crowd to draw a response

Professionals exercise some trigger discipline and ID targets before opening fire to prevent just this type of incident from happening.

I think the BW convoy was fired on, but their response played right into the insurgents hands.

[bemildred]

15. 28 is quite a few mistakes, don't you think? nt

[leftchick]

21. Professionals?

ah yes professional mercenaries. You think it was fired upon? why? were you there? newsflash! the mercenaries in Iraq are notorious for killing innocents.

[0rganism]

16. put every one of them on trial in Iraq, just like Saddam and his cabinet

The Blackwater mercs deserve every bit as much of a chance for a just defense as the Ba'ath party leadership received.

[Auntie Bush]

18. And toss bush and cronies into that mix too. n/t

[Mark D.]

17. Where Is The Outrage?

Their first major 'roll out' on the US was in Louisiana. They were
sent to shoot at our citizens if they felt the need to. They don't
have to answer to the military or govt. for their actions. Well...
At least the KKK was held accountable at some point. Think of this
seriously. First major operation. What was the color mainly of the
folks who drowned? What did they drown in? Put the words together.
As surely as Al Quaeda is pronounced...EL (the) CAI (cia) Da (duh).

We see Ted Nugent pirouette on stage with the beloved gun they'll
take away a lot sooner than anyone on the left will after the next
staged terror event. Remember outrage over Waco? Ruby Ridge?
Jack Booted Thugs? By far right people? They'd be pryed from
their cold, dead fingers? The same folks who voted for those
who said the nearest a strike came to killing Bin Laden, by
Bill Clinton, was 'wagging the dog'? Where are all of the
so-called 'patriots' now with the outrage over all this?

They join in bashing Move On for one add and 2 words
(betray us). Big fucking deal. Two words. Bush stands
against a 3.5% pay raise, wanting just 3% for troops.
The GOP vote against more time for troops to rotate,
as Jim Webb (a Vet!) wanted. Where are the patriots?
Maybe those in control know it can't last. That the
folks they fool may soon find out. By then there'll
be enough of a Blackwater army that it won't be of
concern to them. They get kicked out of Iraq now.

If they were looking for a way out of Iraq, and
were sure enough govt. folks there would find it
alarming and want them gone, opening fire on the
innocent civilians as they did was the way out...
We forget there are as many if not more of them in
Iraq vs. our troops there. The permanent Republican
army paid for by their rich elite, and our tax dollars.
What could be better for them? This is very serious.
They get sent back here. Great! Now WE are next.

[Hulk]

19. And the mainstream media keeps pumping out the "they were fired on, and 8 people died" crap....

We are such a suppressed nation. Our news organizations SUCK!! They don't call this pig and his administration of lies on ANYTHING. The way the chimp plays it, "they say they were fired on...8 peeps died....and we're going to look into it." Such blatant bullshit, and the American media and public eat it up....straight off his ass.

[happygoluckytoyou]

20. NEWS ALERT----- BLACKWATER WAS FOUND INNOCENT

front page of the fox tribune, "blackwater found innocent of all charges. ace reporter bill o'reilly announced today that charges against blackwater would be dropped, noting that star defense attorneys dewey, screwem and howe had been engaged to represent the firm. attorney lance myass asked blackwater employees to try on a flack jacket-- when it didn't fit he screeched "if it don't fit, you must acquit"

bill o' further explained that to him, the dead bodies looked staged, and were probably props from the local cemetary.

condecending rice, on press the meat sunday talk show, "how could it have been our fault-- the blackwater company does not report to the military, they are without ties to any other group, in fact we believe that the specific shooter in this case was osama bin hidin'. we know he was in the area north, south, east or west of baghdad.

questioned on this same subject, dick cheney announced from the floor of the senate--- "why as me, im not part of the executive branch. go fuck yourself. stick your head up your undisclosed location."

president bush at a follow-up press conference announced that he had finished another 364 books this year, and managed to stay within the lines.

[scarletwoman]

22. A kick -- still time left for more recs...

Just sayin...

[Mark D.]

23. So Now

Blackwater is 'back in action' and this all will likely pass for them.
Great. Well, their fighting them over there instead of us here, as
the will after another major 'event' here. We've got some time to
see folks do nothing as Blackwater gains power. The latest is the
Blackwater folks were smuggling and selling weapons in Iraq to an
enemy there. Great! Let's go nuke Iran though we have less proof
they are, we KNOW the Saudis are sending more weapons, bombs
and terrorists into Iraq than anyone. Lets give them billions in new
aide in the form of weapons and assasination gear. That works...
It boggles the mind what is happening right now before our eyes.
You have to wonder if it was a practice drill...for other types of
acts there, or here. How many innocent civilians can you fucking
just open fire on, using a distant explosion as a reason why and
how quickly will it get tucked under the rug...by the powers that
be. This is ridiculous. They're testing the waters for the future...
Arming the enemies, this war will never end if they get their way.

[maddezmom]

29. kick

[Barrett808]

30. Wounded lawyer recalls horror of last weekend's Blackwater shootings

Source: Associated Press

Wounded lawyer recalls horror of last weekend's Blackwater shootings
By BUSHRA JUHI | Associated Press

BAGHDAD — Lawyer Hassan Jabir was stuck in traffic when he heard Blackwater USA security contractors shout "Go, Go, Go." Moments later bullets pierced his back, he said Thursday from his hospital bed.

...

"No one fired at them," Jabir said of the Blackwater guards. "No one attacked them but they randomly fired at people. So many people died in the street."

...

"After 20 minutes, the Americans told us to turn back," he said. "They shouted 'Go' 'Go' 'Go.'... When we started turning back, the Americans began shooting heavily at us. The traffic policeman was the first person killed."

The shooting set off a panic, Jabir said, with men, women and children diving from their vehicles, trying desperately to crawl to safety.

"But many of them were killed," he said. "I saw a 10-year-old boy jump in fear from one of the minibuses. He was shot in his head. His mother jumped after him and was also killed."

Suddenly, Jabir felt two bullets strike his back — one pierced his left lung and the other lodged in his intestines.

"I kept on driving my car because if I left it, I would die," he said. "Then I was hit with two other bullets, one in my right hand and the second in my right shoulder just under the neck. ... I was rescued by Iraqi special forces" who rushed to the area. "I swear to God that they were not exposed to any fire," Jabir said of the Blackwater guards. "They are criminals and thirst for blood."

Read more: http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/68919.html

[leftchick]

31. cnn should run a special show on him

rather than the little Iraqi boy getting plastic surgery by the americans....

[Ian David]

32. And Blackwater is back in operation inside Iraq again today. n/t

[burrowowl]

51. And they use aluminum bullets

which are banned!
Disgusting!

[Ian David]

54. But isn't aluminum better for the environment? Why are they banned? n/t

[burrowowl]

55. They fragment easier

and rip the victem into mush.

[Ian David]

56. But then doesn't that also make them less likely to continue passing straight through the victim...

and impacting a second, un-intended victim?

Then again, Blackwater would just shoot the witnesses anyway.

[leftchick]

33. "Our problem is rooted in the occupation"

Some Iraqis didn't seem to care which version was correct. For them, the real problem is that their country is occupied by foreigners — whether soldiers or civilians.

"Our problem is rooted in the occupation, regardless of whether it's by security firms or foreign troops," a Baghdad resident, who have his name only as Abu Ahmed, told Associated Press Television News. "This is one of the grave consequences of the occupation."

[acmavm]

53. Yep, that was what I was going to post. It's pretty much the bottom line,

isn't it?

[Barrett808]

34. One more rec, please, for justice

Iraqis get precious little of it.

[lateo]

35. Are there Democrats in Washington condemningthis?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

46. no. It would be perceived as an attack

on our military.
or at least portrayed that way by Bush and his lackey senators.

[leftchick]

47. um, no

shocked? I am not.

[lateo]

49. No...I'm not.

Saddened...but not surprised.

[1776Forever]

50. Webb, McCaskill Advocate Commission to Investigate Wartime Contracting

http://webb.senate.gov/

Washington, DC - Senators Jim Webb (D-VA) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) this week re-filed their amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill to establish an independent, bipartisan Commission on Wartime Contracting modeled after the "Truman Committee" which investigated government waste and fraud during World War II. The two senators have a second amendment which seeks to increase accountability of private security personnel - a measure underscored this week when a private security contractor opened fire on Iraqi citizens.

**********************

Hopefully along with this they will be looking into the abuse caused by these mercenaries.

[The Backlash Cometh]

36. I don't want those Blackwater animals back in my country.

[Barrett808]

39. Not "animals," but "heroes" -- didn't you see the company press release?

Think about all the good Blackwater has done, like in Fallujah.

[Joanne98]

52. I don't either. They're like child molesters, ruined for life!

They are too dangerous and bloody thirsty. Keep them away from the public. It's not safe!

[goodhue]

37. this needs more attention

k&r

[yardwork]

38. k&r. We need a real investigation.

For starters, let's see some documentation on how many people were wounded and killed during this incident. There must be records. Congress needs to demand them. And are their videos or still photos or recordings of the incident? Who has them?

The White House will try to hide any evidence that makes Blackwater look bad. The whole question of using armed private contractors for security during a war occupation needs to be looked at. I'm very disturbed by this.

[Sequoia]

41. Don't except the yellow bellied congress to do anything.

Traitors !!!! I curse Blackwater, and Eric Prince is the devil himself.

[leftchick]

40. VIDEO Interview with Jabir.......

http://therealnews.com/web/index.php?thisdataswitch=0&thisid=449&thisview=item

[damntexdem]

42. "The traffic policeman was the first person killed."

It's what should be expected when thugs are hired and made immune to all law.

"Blackwater shot the sheriff,
but they did not shoot the deputy ... foreign minister." ;-)

[truthisfreedom]

43. FINALLY someone is putting a human face on the havoc our presence is wreaking in Iraq.

Finally, they're not just "Iraqi civilians." A voice speaks out.

[heliarc]

44. K&R This is what needs to lead the newsday.

The castigation of the handling of this war needs to continue ruthlessly. It needs to be front page news. Here too.

[WillyT]

45. Oh It Is... Just Not The Way You Or I Want It To...

Frontpage of MSNBC as of this posting:



:shrug:

[ooglymoogly]

48. I recommend this with sadness and my heart is weeping

for those innocents killed. Iraqis are wonderful people.