Did a gas explosion kill all these Iraqi people or was it a US air strike?

[NNN0LHI]

While our media was reporting a bunch of Iraqi people getting blown up yesterday I notice in the videotape one of the Iraqis holding up what looked like a piece of metal from one of our "smart" bombs. But the media kept on reporting it was just Iraqis killing Iraqis. The Iraqi people don't seem to be swallowing that story as well as our military wants them to. They think it was a US air strike.

Don

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2310660

Stunned Iraqis angered at blasts that killed 57

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A day after a series of blasts killed at least 57 people, the dazed residents of Zaafaraniya are still wondering what hit them. snip

But the scale of the destruction spoke of a far bigger attack, perhaps involving large artillery shells or air strikes. U.S. military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Barry Johnson said there was no American air activity in the area at the time. snip

"Suddenly we heard a massive sound. A building over there was completely flattened. I don't know how we survived," said Sarwad, a resident. "There must be hundreds of people still buried." snip

"My sister, three or four brothers and sisters, are buried in there with children," yelled Abdel Wahid. "It was all American shelling."

U.S. military spokesman Major General William Caldwell said on Monday American troops went to the site and determined a gas explosion had triggered other blasts.

[Kagemusha]

1. Oh so that's why there's the gas explosion story.

If they could blame this on simple insurgents (which apparently wouldn't be even remotely credible) then there'd be no need for a cover story.

Not saying that it ISN'T gas, but I wouldn't even know if Sadr City HAS gas lines, or ones that have actual gas in them, given the fuel shortage in Bagdhad. Wouldn't know.

[leftchick]

2. or rocket attacks?

It is hard to tell. At any rate the US is still to blame for any violence and death in Iraq. We own it. :(



Two Iraqi women walk past the damaged residential building, after Sunday night rocket attacks, in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday Aug. 14, 2006. Car bombs and a rocket barrage struck a predominantly Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad Sunday killing at least 62 people and injuring 140, a municipal official said Monday. The rockets were apparently fired from a mostly Sunni district targeted by U.S. troops in a crackdown against the sectarian violence roiling the capital. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

[kentuck]

3. Only a guess...

But it would be a similar strategy to what the Israelis did in southern Lebanon. Kill a few and the others will leave. They need to clean the area.

[lonestarnot]

4. Don't know. The trouble with civil war is, it sometimes turn to anarchy

and you never get a straight story when it's every man for himself.