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The War
Profiteers - War Crimes, Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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Iraq: Aftermath of the Baiji Killings |
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“A local Iraqi police chief Thursday accused the U.S. military of
killing seven Iraqi civilians, including at least one child, in a helicopter
strike in northern Iraq. […] A relative of the dead, Fulaiyh Shimmari […]
said the family had gathered in the evening after receiving word that one of
their members was about to be released from U.S. custody. ‘We saw the U.S.
Humvees surrounding the houses of our family, and then U.S. choppers dropped
soldiers on the gathering of cars and people,’ Shimmari said by telephone. ‘The
guests and relatives panicked. Some of them fled on foot like me to their
houses and others took their cars and escaped.’ Shimmari said three of the
seven people in a vehicle targeted by the helicopter were killed, including a
child. Four people on foot were shot and killed as they fled, he said. […]” Excerpt of a Los Angeles Times article from May 23rd,
2008 |
Dead Iraqi child after air strike |
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The Video |
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External view: link file format: .flv |
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Killed civilians |
Bullet holes in car |
Dead Iraqi boy |
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Video Credits 1) The video was shot shortly after the killings took place on May 20th,
2008 by one of the inhabitants of the near-by village Al-Mazraa. At the end
of June 2008, the footage was distributed via the internet along with information
about the events and the names of seven victims: Family Members and Friends Killed
as They Waited for Relative’s Release On May 20, 2008 in the village of Al Mazraa, near Baiji, Salahuddin
Province, Iraq Eight relatives and a neighbor on their way to a homecoming party for
a detainee released from Camp Bucca were shot and killed by American soldiers
as they waited on the road outside the neighborhood. American soldiers were
conducting raids in the area, so neighbors had warned the family to stay away
from the area until the patrol was over. As the two car convoy was waiting nearby, an American helicopter
nearby opened fire on the vehicles. As the vehicles were hit, the drivers
attempted to seek cover, but both vehicles were repeatedly shot and disabled.
The helicopter landed but instead of assisting those shot and needing medical
help, the American soldiers killed any survivors and then wrote numbers on
the foreheads of some. Several children including a young girls body are
clearly visible, and the wounds suffered by the men are horrific. The vehicle
is clearly shot with many rounds and the seats and road is covered with
blood. Iraqi police were called to the scene to remove the bodies, and some
video footage was taken. It is clear that these people were unarmed
civilians. American troops did eventually enter the house where over 50 Iraqis
were gathered for the homecoming party, and the soldiers proceeded to destroy
furniture and belongings as they conducted their search. No one in the house
was harmed. The names of those killed: Sabah Rasheed Matrood Saab Rasheed Matrood Kamel Badr Daher Ali Badr Daher Udei Badr Daher Fateh Haref Nouar Abdul Rahman Kamel Badr |
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Back to Summary of Baiji
Killings |
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