Iraqis march to Falluja armed with aid

[Aidoneus]

Iraqis march to Falluja armed with aid
Thursday 08 April 2004

Thousands of Sunni and Shia Muslims backed by cars full of food and medical supplies have headed on foot toward the town of Falluja which has been besieged by US occupation forces.

The protesters answered a call by Muslim groups for a peaceful march to carry supplies to residents of the Sunni town where dozens of Iraqis have been killed since US marines launched an offensive on Sunday against resistance fighters.

--snip--

The marchers carried Iraqi flags as well as portraits of Palestinian Shaikh Ahmad Yasin, spiritual leader of the Hamas killed last month by Israel, and Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al- Sadr, whose forces were fighting the US-led occupation.

Shaikh Ahmad Abd al-Ghafur al-Samarai, the Imam and a member of the Committee of Religious Clerics, said "Baghdad residents decided to send initially 90 cars with food and medicines to Falluja families."

--snip--

"We want to express solidarity with our brothers who are being bombed by warplanes and tanks. People donated these things, and women even sold their jewellery," he said.

--snip--

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/E6D5061F-F02F-49B4-A197-8DE7A1C4A0AA.htm

[Qanisqineq]

1. Wasn't Fallujah closed off by the marines?

[VolcanoJen]

3. Exactly. There's a total media blackout...

... and the town is sealed off, according to what they're telling us.

How would any kind of aid from the Iraqis reach Fallujah? The Marines surely aren't going to let anyone in...

[Qanisqineq]

5. I just hope no one bringing aid

has a "language problem" at a checkpoint and is shot by marines who are tired, stressed, and don't know who to trust. Especially with the increasing violence of recent days.

[shockingelk]

6. They have permission

"The Iraqi Red Crescent got permission from occupation forces following negotiations over one day and one night to bring these supplies into the city, he said."

[Qanisqineq]

9. that's a relief

but I still worry about them and the anxious marines they will encounter

[izzie]

17. Back to the Middle ages, and lets hope no hot oil comes over the wall.

Could anyone believe the USA would be in this mess? What has happened to us?

[saigon68]

22. PHOTO of Pilgrimage

Iraqi volunteers drive with supplies towards areas under siege by U.S. forces in the restive town of Falluja, from depots in a Baghdad suburb April 8, 2004. Polish and Bulgarian troops battled Shi'ite militiamen in the Iraqi shrine city of Kerbala on Thursday as U.S.-led forces struggled to quell the worst violence since Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s fall a year ago. Photo by Ali Jasim/Reuters

[burrowowl]

2. Only a 1000 or so

are 'agin' U$.
Multiplied by how much?
The majority of Shia want U$ there. Hmmmmm!

[anarchy1999]

4. Oh Shit. Bush has no idea what he said when he said "Bring em On"

I need to go to sleep and I am afraid to wake up in the morning to read what new has befallen this town. I think all of us here should be helping the town as well. Fallujah has sent out pleas for help, are we going to respond? I know I have been and will continue tommorrow. In addition to bringing our troops home can we please end the siege of Fallujah and the wholesale slaughter of its citizens by our rough and ready Marines?

[kera]

7. I just read a message

from Sadr to the americain people about the suffering, dead and destruction that troops are causing there

[bahrbearian]

10. Please post it, if you can ..

[kera]

12. the article

Cleric Al-Sadr Warns Iraq Could Become A Vietnam For US



BAGHDAD (AP)--Anti-U.S. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr warned Wednesday Iraq will become another Vietnam-like conflict for the U.S. unless it transfers power to "honest Iraqis."

The cleric - whose militia followers have battled coalition and Iraqi security forces across the country for days - accused members of the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council of being "collaborators" and said "they do not represent the Iraqi people."

"I call upon the American people to stand beside their brethren, the Iraqi people, who are suffering an injustice by your rulers and the occupying army, to help them in the transfer of power to honest Iraqis," al-Sadr said in a statement issued by his office in the southern city of Najaf. "Otherwise, Iraq will be another Vietnam for America and the occupiers."

The U.S. plans to transfer sovereignty on June 30 to an Iraqi government, however its makeup is yet to be determined. Members of the Governing Council are expected to have prominent roles in it. National elections are scheduled to be held before Jan. 31.

In a separate statement issued earlier Wednesday, al-Sadr also called on Iraq's neighbor Kuwait to close U.S. military bases there so that the region is freed of "the great Satan."

"I call on our brothers of the Kuwaiti people to put pressure on their government to expel these terrorists bases," it said.


Dow Jones Newswires
04-07-041244ET

[Stockholm]

11. What will the events in Fallujah lead to?

What will bombing a mosque and a theological seminar in Shiite area of Falluja and by publicly declaring that the US will attack and destroy the "Mahdi-army" led by Sadrs lead to?

The Shiites which constitutes 60 percent of the Iraqi population have so far not been openly hostile to the US but will the last days change this? US officials have estimated that Sadr's lead a group of around 3000 "badly equipped" soldiers. But reports say this is changing after clashes in Baghdad and other areas dominated by Shiites.

Facts supporting the increase of support is that the Mahdi army over the last couple of days seized control over three middle sized cities in the south (Najaf, Kufa and Kut) creating pockets for Sadr's followers.

What is most disturbing in this development is the "active" collaboration between Sunnis and Shiites. Previously, the US has mainly been clashing with Sunni insurgents, but it seems that a temporary alliance between the two groups, which for just a couple of weeks ago was deemed highly unlikely for historic reasons, now seems plausible.

In Ramadi, a Sunni controlled town, posters signaling the support of Sadr's can be seen everywhere and in Adhamiya (Sunni area in Baghdad) Sunnis has been fighting side by side with Sadr's Shiites.

Summed up, this spell trouble ahead for US coalition with Arbain and the one year anniversary of the invasion around the corner.

In my opinion this development has to be broken quickly. When a occupied country´s general resistance reach a certain level... well Afghanistan, Algeria and Vietnam springs to mind.

[kera]

13. this development has

to be broken quicly what do you mean?

are you for the right to autodetermination

[Stockholm]

16. Yes but not at the prize of a

civil war.

Anyone who thinks that the US will be out of Iraq by June 30 raise your hands?

[markses]

26. Huh? We have to stop Sunni-Shi'a cooperation

in order to avoid a civil war? That makes no sense. If the Sunni and Shi'a are cooperating, who would be the parties in the civil war? If the Sunni and Shi'a demonstrate that they can work together (to oppose the US or otherwise), then the whole case for civil war (and the justification of US involvment to prevent it) falls apart. At the end of the day, I think we're seeing that the Iraqis can organize their own polity without the benevolent help (read: outright banditry) of the Great White Father.

[leftchick]

18. it has happened before... 1920 against the British occupiers.

It was predicted to happen by many before the invasion that the Sunni and Shiites would merge against the US but the asshole* in charge would not listen. There is nothing the US can do to prevent it. A lot more people are going to die before this is over but in the end I am guessing the Iraqis will have their country back. Then the civil war starts....

[Christ was Socialist]

28. I just thought of something

Is Kirkuk going to become a free for all then? I haven't heard much about it, which is ironic since the reserves there are so important. Its holy to the kurds, and the turks and iranians have an intrest in it, and with this sunni shia alliance, it makes me wonder.

[huellewig]

8. Good..

I was worried after what riverbend wrote.

"The troops won't let anyone out of Falloojeh and they won't let anyone into it either- the people are going to go hungry in a matter of days because most of the fresh produce is brought from outside of the city. We've been trying to call a friend who lives there for three days and we can't contact him."

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

Hopefully the folks in Falluja get what they need. But I bet the supplies won't help much.. Fuck..

[izzie]

19. I always read this women as she seems to know what she writes about.

She seem to have the feel of the country and things pop up on her blog before things come out in paper. Read is also good. But she is more interesting as she seem to stay home but gets it right. She seems to hear what people are saying. I can not understand what we are doing in Falluja. It will come back to get us over and over as all this mess will. Why has this country let Bush and Co turned the whole world into hating the US?

[maddezmom]

14. CNNI showing video of the aide convoy

and repeating the calls for blood donations in Fallujah.

[ConcernedCanuk]

15. This action in Fallujah is fostering increasing hatred

.
.
.

There are some very graphic pictures of injured children

This is just one of them

.




If you have the stomach for it , clik on the link below for the rest.


They are all from April 7 in Fallujah


Falluja siege


I think people that support this war should HAVE to see these pictures.

I'm afraid the Iraqi's see much, much worse.


.

[izzie]

20. I saw it yesterday and feel every Am should look.

Your tax payers dollars at work for you.

[ConcernedCanuk]

21. Can you imagine American mothers wondering

.
.
.

"Did my son do this?"

If they had to see these, there would be some serious soul searching going on

And that is what America need right now

Imagine also, when some of these boys come home, and alot of them ARE just boys, and they see these pictures which I'm sure most are not aware of from the distance of their Helicopters, Planes and Tanks.

There will be 10's of thousands of "damaged" young Americans returning from this war, as I am certain that the vast majority of them do not even realize . . .

I can't imagine living with the thought that I had done anything like what those pictures depict.

[0007]

25. Yuck!

We say, "In God We Trust" - This will backfire

[Oggy]

27. Although I understand why you posted that picture

I do think you should have warned about the content in the subject. Weeping at work was not what I expected when following this thread down.

[saigon68]

23. MORE NEWS 8 April

Iraqi insurgents walk past a blazing vehicle that was carrying supplies to U.S. forces after it was destroyed in the Baghdad suburb of Abu Ghraib, April 8, 2004. Polish and Bulgarian troops battled Shi'ite militiamen in the Iraqi shrine city of Kerbala on Thursday as U.S.-led forces struggled to quell the worst violence since Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s fall a year ago. REUTERS/Imad Aqrawi

[Mari333]

30. Michael is at Abu Ghraib n/t

[mmm]

31. Aren't these supply convoys accompanied by a heavy US guard?

These guys are walking right in the open.

[saigon68]

32. IMAGINE IF THESE GUYS WERE USING RPG'S TO ROB BANKS

Yikes-- no problem opening the safe

[alcuno]

24. They are making us look incredibly foolish.

Of course we are but we are fighting a war and they are bonding with their fellow countrymen.

[DulceDecorum]

29. How do you say

WE SHALL OVERCOME
in Arabic?

[Cocoa]

33. but Tom Friedman says the insurgents don't have popular support

he says the "silent majority" likes us.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x44068

[Aidoneus]

34. U.S. Forces Fire At Aid Convoys To Fallujah (update)

U.S. Forces Fire At Aid Convoys To Fallujah
Additional Reporting By Aws Al-Sharqy & Samir Haddad, IOL Correspondents

BAGHDAD, April 8 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – The U.S. soldiers opened fire on aid convoys taking relief supplies to Fallujah, sealed off by occupation forces for the fourth consecutive day, eyewitnesses said.

The convoys, carrying foodstuffs and medicine, were forced to stop in Ramadi to the west of Baghdad, eyewitnesses told IslamOnline.net.

Troops in armored vehicles attempted to stop the convoy of cars and pedestrians from reaching the western town where U.S. marines have met ferocious resistance in a two-day-old offensive.

But the U.S. contingents were overwhelmed as residents of villages west of the capital came to the convoy's assistance, hurling insults and stones at the beleaguered troops, Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Two U.S. Humvees attempted to stop the marchers but were forced to drive off as residents joined the marchers.

U.S. troops armed with machine guns and backed up by armor again blocked the highway further west, but were forced to let the Iraqis past as they came under a hail of stones.

The cross-community demonstration of support for Fallujah had been organized by Baghdad Sunni and Shiite scholars amid reports that the death toll in the town had reached 105 since Tuesday evening.

“No Sunnis, no Shiites, yes for Islamic unity,” the marchers chanted. “We are Sunni and Shiite brothers and will never sell our country”.

--snip--

http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2004-04/08/article04.shtml