Iraqis Blame U.S. for Massacre of Children (we used kids as shields)

[donsu]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4530113,00.html

-snip-

Residents said that before the start of the celebration, U.S. soldiers called upon the children through loudspeakers to join the crowd, promising them sweets. There were an unusually large number around because the long school holidays were nearing an end.

``I blame the Americans for this tragedy. They wanted to make human shields out of our children. They should have kept the children away from danger,'' said Abdel-Hadi al-Badri, a cleric a the al-Mubashroun al-Ashra mosque, breaking down in tears during Friday prayers.

-snip-

``The Americans are the first terrorists and the people who carried out the attack are the second terrorists,'' he added. It was the largest number of children killed in any single insurgent attack since the conflict erupted 17 months ago.

Al-Badri's is a common lament here. Confronted by daily bombings, kidnappings, deadly crossfires and soaring violent crime, many Iraqis blame most of their ills on the Americans. Many say that they and their children would not be dying today had the U.S. not invaded their country 17 months ago.

-snip-

Dharar Ahmed, a policeman, said that there was no reason to stage a large celebration for a small sewage plant that was already partially operating.

-snip-

``Blaming any party will not bring back my dead son. It seems that 25 million people will die before the democracy is achieved in this country,'' he said.
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[Union Thug]

1. Mission Accomplished!!!!

[patdem]

2. It was set up to be a 'good news' PR stunt...which backfired

like most things bush* does. :grr:

[shadu]

3. This statement is hard to argue with:

``The Americans are the first terrorists and the people who carried out the attack are the second terrorists,'' he added. "It was the largest number of children killed in any single insurgent attack since the conflict erupted 17 months ago."

I find it hard to believe US soldiers would use children
as shields. This doesn't change the fact that WE are the terrorists.

[Eric J in MN]

4. There is no evidence the intent was to use them as shields,

or that the US soldiers knew that explosions in the crowd were imminent.

[xray s]

5. This story is wrong, wrong, wrong.

Does anyone here really believe soldiers asked the children over to be a shield against an attack? That is ridiculous. If they knew there was going to be an attack they would have cancelled the event. Their lives were in jeopardy too.

I think our guys are trying to reach out to people, and some murdering monsters are taking advantage of it.

Come on people. This war is a big mistake. But lets not turn all our own people into monsters. They don't want to be their either.

Damn Bush and his damn war!