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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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October 14th,
2007 - UN Urges ‘Vigorous’ US Raid Probe Video: Al-Jazeera
Documentary on the Thar Thar Killings (II) |
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UN Urges ‘Vigorous’ US Raid
Probe By Al-Jazeera October 14, 2007 The United Nations has
called for a "vigorous" investigation into a US air raid that
killed 15 Iraqi women and children last week. The call comes as the first
pictures emerged in the aftermath of the attack, which took place north of
Baghdad on Thursday. US forces expressed regret
over the loss of civilian life but said they sent in helicopters after ground
troops came under fire from al-Qaeda fighters. Iraqi villagers say some of
the victims were shot dead and pictures they captured at the scene of the
attack shows bullet holes that appeared to be from a ground assault. The US military said senior
al-Qaeda leaders were meeting in the Lake Thar Thar region, 80km north of
Baghdad. The US admitted six women
and nine children were killed along with 19 fighters. Villagers say they have
buried 24 people but do not know what happened to the others who they said
were taken away by the Americans. Iraqis ‘unhappy’ Some analysts told Al
Jazeera that the incident was yet another example of Iraqi civilians being
indiscriminately killed as US forces pursued their enemies. "The Iraqi people they
are very unhappy. The feelings there are running very high. They think the
Iraqi blood is very cheap, and someone has to pay for something like
this," Louay Bahry of the Middle East Institute said. Meanwhile, the Muslim Eid
al-Fitr holidays in Iraq were marred by violence that left dozens dead. At least nine people,
including women and children, were killed when a car bomb exploded next to a minibus
full of Shia Muslims on their way to a shrine in northern Baghdad, Iraqi
military officials said. As many as 13 people were
wounded by the blast in Aden square, which was then sealed off to vehicles by
security forces. Other violence At least 32 people were
killed and dozens wounded elsewhere in the country. Late on Saturday, a suicide
truck bomber and several fighters carried out a co-ordinated attack on a
police station in Samarra, 120km north of Baghdad. The truck exploded about
100m away from the intended target before a gun fight between fighters and
the police. "Seventeen people were
killed and 27 wounded when a suicide truck bomber targeted police commandos
in Samarra," a police official said. The explosion destroyed
several buildings in a residential area of the city. Many of the dead were
women and children, and it is not clear if any fighters were among the dead. External link: http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/311C7514-FAB2-4CA3-A8E8-75B1CC1D0E08.htm |