First-hand news vs. CNN

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

(Dated 12-31 on Web site but just released/posted this hour on Google news)


Today on Palestine Street near Mustanceria University in Baghdad, a car packed with explosives was exploded as a US patrol passed. I saw at least one Humvee flipped upside down and another sitting nearby, completely incinerated; as soldiers, tanks, Bradleys, and Hummers had the area completely sealed. Razor wire was strung across the street, keeping the area clear.

Meanwhile soldiers went building to building pulling out all the men, and inside of their sealed perimeter stood a group of at least 25-35 men, all most likely to be detained. I stood by the razor wire watching them taking men with their hands tied with plastic ties out of buildings. The young soldier near me saw an Iraqi man staring at him, and yelled at him,

"What the fuck are you looking at motherfucker!?"

He points his gun at him.

"Get the fuck out of here. You like what you see? I said fuck off!"

My translator asked the Iraqi to please just walk away, as he stood glaring at the soldier.

We are told soldiers went through the dorms of the nearby university and pulled many young men out in order to detain them.

More: http://electroniciraq.net/news/1301.shtml



Dahr Jamail is a freelance journalist and political activist from Anchorage, Alaska. He has come to Iraq to bear witness and write about how the US occupation is affecting the people of Iraq, since the media in the US has in large part, he believes, failed to do so.

[KG]

1. winning them there hearts and minds again, i see.

guess viet nam taught the army nothing.

iraq for the iraqis - all foreigners out now!