Ramadi: Mass Exodus Amid Rising Tensions

[DoYouEverWonder]

16 June 2006

BAGHDAD - Residents of the city of Ramadi are fleeing to escape a worsening security situation as the United States military steps up operations against insurgents there.

People in Ramadi, capital of the western Iraqi province of Anbar, estimate that about 70 per cent of the city's population have fled in the last week, many of them holding white flags for fear of being shot at by Marine snipers.

Residents reported that US troops blasted messages through loudspeakers on June 13, telling them to leave and warning of house-to-house searches for weapons and militants.

The ongoing violence between US Marines and the insurgents, air strikes, and outages in the water, electricity and phone networks have already made life untenable. Ramadi residents say US troops regularly take over houses to fight the insurgents, and combatants on both sides have been seen using rooftops as sniper positions.

"The situation is difficult and tragic," said Samiaa Awwad, a 68-year-old who fled Ramadi to Jazeera, 20 kilometres east of Ramadi, with her daughters and sons.

http://electroniciraq.net/news/2387.shtml

[Earth_First]

1. Nine months from now we'll find out that a family of 5 was shot...

while holding white flags attempting to flee.

[Olney Blue]

2. These people didn't ask for this.

[leftchick]

3. ZERO reporting in the US about the coming destruction of Ramadi

This is so awful! Another nightmare scenario like Fallujah! God I hate these warmongers!

:argh:

[leftchick]

4. Ramadi: Fallujah Redux by Dahr Jamail

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=15&ItemID=10433

Fearful residents are now pouring out of Ramadi after the US military has been assaulting the city for months with tactics like cutting water, electricity and medical aid, imposing curfews, and attacking by means of snipers and random air strikes. This time, Iraqis there are right to fear the worst - an all out attack on the city, similar to what was done to nearby Fallujah.

It has always been just a matter of time before the US military would finally get around to destroying Ramadi, the capital city of al-Anbar province. After all, Ramadi is not far from Fallujah, and so similar to Fallujah both tribally and in their disdain towards the idea of being occupied, that many people in Ramadi even refer to Fallujah as "Ramadi."
I know many people from Ramadi who lost relatives and friends during both US assaults on Fallujah, and the level of anti-American sentiment has always been high there.

By now, we all know the scene when the US military in Iraq decides to attack an entire city ... we've seen this standard operating procedure repeated, to one degree or another, in Haditha, Al-Qa'im, Samarra, parts of Baghdad, Balad, Najaf and Fallujah twice ... so far. The city is sealed for weeks if not months, water and electricity are cut, medical aid is cut, curfews imposed, mobility impaired, air strikes utilized, then the real attack begins. Now in Ramadi, the real attack has begun.

Warplanes are streaking the sky as bombings increase, loudspeakers aimed into the city warn civilians of a "fierce impending attack," (even though it has already begun), and thousands of families remain trapped in their homes, just like in Fallujah during both attacks on that city. Again, many who remain in the city cannot afford to leave because they are so poor, or they lack transportation, or they want to guard their home because it is all they have left.

Sheikh Fassal Guood, a former governor of al-Anbar said of the situation, "The situation is catastrophic. No services, no electricity, no water." He also said, "We know for sure now that Americans and Iraqi commanders have decided to launch a broad offensive any time now, but they should have consulted with us."

:cry:

[rodeodance]

5. and which 'side' are we on?

[leftchick]

6. why, the side that profits

of course! :(

[Gin]

7. where do all these people go? and with 70% gone...that's one way to

maintain peace and quiet..........create a ghost town!

[leftchick]

8. many have gone to Baghdad

which has a couple of problems too. :(

[lonestarnot]

9. Staying the course! "THANK GOD!"

Flattening the land to make way for the rest of our treasury.