U.S. kills 33 Iraqis over water

[bigtree]

U.S., Iraqi Forces Kill 33 Sunni Insurgents Near the Shiite Town of Khalis

Associated Press
Aug 28, 2007

BAGHDAD -- Hundreds of U.S. and Iraqi forces backed by helicopters and jet fighters killed 33 Sunni insurgents who were holding back the water supply to the Shiite town of Khalis, the American command said in a statement Tuesday.

The assault north of Baghdad began before dawn on Monday when a joint force was landed by helicopter in the village of Gubbiya, 10 miles east of Khalis. The assault force killed 13 fighters and attack aircraft killed 20 others, the military said. The area is known to be controlled by al-Qaida in Iraq. Khalis, 50 miles north of Baghdad, has been the scene of repeated Sunni insurgent bombings and mortar attacks.

"The objective of the mission was to open the spillway, which regulates water flow to the town of Khalis, restoring the essential service of water," the statement said.

The assault uncovered three weapons caches, led to the capture of three men and "water is currently flowing unimpeded to Khalis," the military said.

http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=3531055


from 2001:

Documents Show US Intended to Degrade Iraqi Water Supply

—National Catholic Reporter, 8/24/01
http://www.peaceworkmagazine.org/pwork/0109/010918.htm


U.S. sanctions turn Iraq's water supply into poison
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/51/242.html

[DS1]

1. A most selective headline there

borderline deceptive

[bigtree]

2. What is more deceptive? The headline or the military's excuse for bombing the Iraqis?

[shadowknows69]

6. great picture

and yes I loved "300" so sue me.

"Give them nothing, but take from them. Everything!"
-Leonidas

[Javaman]

8. Two hours of grown men in underwear screaming at each other...

:rofl:

[shadowknows69]

9. I'm secure enough in my sexuality to watch that lol

Hey, I like innovative film and the visual style on this was definitely that. Also I'd watch an adaptation of a Frank Miller work if it was done by a high school AV club.

[Javaman]

10. LOL Oh the look was great. But it reminded me of more of sin city. nt

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. You'd think that in forty years these zombies would....

>>>The assault uncovered three weapons caches, led to the capture of three men and "water is currently flowing unimpeded to Khalis," the military said.>>>


...have come up with a new idea or two. This is straight out of the VN playblook. Remember Nixon on TV in 1970 with the ammo and rice that the VC and NVA were supposedly going to consume in Cambodia?

Should we teach ( real) American history in public schools?

Nah.

[bigtree]

4. sanctions and bombings took Iraq from prosperity to a pre-industrial state

and paltry reconstruction gestures are supposed to amend for that.

Appeasing locals is standard in a counter-insurgency, but these bombing raids which kill Iraqis the military insists are 'insurgent' do nothing but generate more resistance.

[Igel]

5. If it was to restore water to a community, no problem here.

As for the links, there are some serious problems with the argumentation. They'd fail as 10th-grade essays, I think.

[bigtree]

7. you don't need a tenth grade education to see the fault in killing 33 Iraqis

to 'restore water rights' which couldn't be resolved politically. Why is the U.S. responsible or entitled to determine water rights in Iraq? Why is it proper or legitimate for our military forces to be employed in such a destructive and heavy-handed manner to effect what is essentially a matter for the Iraqis themselves to resolve politically?

As for the links, the supposition there is that the U.S. hasn't given a damn about the availability of water for Iraqis in the past. I wanted to provide references to the effects of the present campaign's employment of 'shock and awe' but I let it go. There is a tragic absurdity in our military or the administration bragging about restoring ANY of Iraq's infrastructure *that is in shambles as a result of our invasion and continued occupation; even more so when they single out one group of Iraqis over another as the ultimate beneficiaries of that effort.

This wasn't meant to be some extensive dissertation. It was just a curt reflection on the contradiction of the boasts from the military preceding their report and the collateral destructive effect on Iraq's infrastructure as a result of their overall involvement.