Iraqi police fire on protesting ex-soldiers in Basra, at least four hit

[Judi Lynn]

Iraqi police fire on protesting ex-soldiers in Basra, at least four hit

NABIL AL-JOURANI, Associated Press Writer Tuesday, January 6, 2004



(01-06) 03:39 PST BASRA, Iraq (AP) --

Iraqi police opened fire Tuesday on hundreds of stone-throwing former Iraqi soldiers demanding monthly stipends promised by the U.S.-led coalition, and reporters saw at least four protesters shot in the southern town of Basra.

Protesters marched on the Central Bank and then tried to force their way in to get money, pelting the building with stones and then turning on police who first tried to stop them by wielding batons. Police then opened fire.

British forces arrived on the scene and calmed the situation, using loudspeakers to say in Arabic "You will get what you deserve, but not in this way." They did not fire, even after one was hit in the leg by a stone.

At the hospital, officials said one ex-soldier had been killed, and relatives said they had come to collect the body of 40-year-old Abbas Kadhim, a non-commissioned officer. Hospital officials said they were treating three wounded men.
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/01/06/international0639EST0500.DTL

[spinbaby]

1. BBC showed footage this morning

Really horrifying with men running and screaming, gunfire going off. I expect U.S. news, if they mention this at all, will make a vague reference to a "demonstration."

[Barrett808]

2. Yes, our newly trained recruits are doing a bang-up job

They were trained on a crash course and a shoestring budget. Still, they will be very useful to the insurgency for intelligence and inside jobs.

[DrWeird]

3. who the hell do they think they are?

americans?