Jittery U.S. Soldiers Kill 6 Iraqis

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030810/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_a_deadly_night&cid=540&ncid=1480

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The night air hung like a hot wet blanket over the north Baghdad suburb of Slaykh. At 9 p.m., an electrical transformer blew up, plunging the neighborhood into darkness.

American soldiers, apparently fearing a bomb attack, went on alert. Within 45 minutes, six Iraqis trying to get home before the 11 p.m. curfew were shot and killed by U.S. forces.

Anwaar Kawaz, 36, lost her husband and three of four children. "We kept shouting, 'We're a family! Don't shoot!' But no one listened. They kept shooting," she told The Associated Press. She's expecting another child this month.

When asked about Friday's shootings, Lt. Col. Guy Shields, coalition military spokesman, said, "Our checkpoints are usually marked and our soldiers are trained and disciplined. I will check on that. That is serious."

more

[ThorsteinVeblen]

1. Jesus Christ

[AnnabelLee]

2. What kind of whirlwind

will we reap from this?:-(

There is, I feel, some validity to the argument that some (maybe most) of the US soldiers in Iraq are not trained for the situation they now find themselves in, & are operating on a hairtrigger as a consequence. However, I don't think the Iraqis care about such nuances & niceties. BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW.

[VolcanoJen]

3. Dupe... locking

Although these articles are by two different authors, they report what is essentially the same story. Please continue discussion by posting in the original, earliest thread on this topic, which can be found here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=59163&mesg_id=59163

NNN0LHI, your link to the AP's version of events would be very helpful in the other thread.

Thanks! :-)
VolcanoJen
DU Moderator