After the horrible scenes
jamie | 04.04.2004 21:15
After the horrible scenes from Fallugah Iraq we see clearly that the Imperial mis-adventure of the U.S. will bear the most bitter fruit. It may be hard at this time for many on the progressive side of the fence to confront, but it is our duty to recognize the legitimate right of the Iraqi people to struggle to throw out the foreign occupiers who have denied them their sovereignty and who wish, under the cover of a “good deed,“ to plunder that nation‘s wealth. As was the French resistance to the Nazis a just cause, the efforts of Iraq’s citizens is equally justified. We will not, of course, rejoice in the barbarity that has been unleashed. But we know by whom and for what motives this has all come about.
04/04/04
Friends,
After the horrible scenes from Fallugah Iraq we see clearly that the Imperial mis-adventure of the U.S. will bear the most bitter fruit. It may be hard at this time for many on the progressive side of the fence to confront, but it is our duty to recognize the legitimate right of the Iraqi people to struggle to throw out the foreign occupiers who have denied them their sovereignty and who wish, under the cover of a “good deed,“ to plunder that nation‘s wealth. As was the French resistance to the Nazis a just cause, the efforts of Iraq’s citizens is equally justified. We will not, of course, rejoice in the barbarity that has been unleashed. But we know by whom and for what motives this has all come about.
Our leaders are responsible for these events. We must demand that they be held accountable. Yes, demand. Fredrick Douglas, the great abolitionist, recognized long ago that “power concedes nothing without a demand.” The top leadership of this nation are guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity if ever such violations have occurred. The facts and international law are not in the slightest doubt on these points. We must call forth an unblockable chorus for justice that cannot be hidden form our people. I for one cherish my right of free speech and will not allow it to be robbed from me by the likes of John Ashcroft and George W. Bush. Let’s hold their feet to the fire of humanity’s call for justice: “Nuremberg” trials now! Reparations for the citizens of the Iraqi nation now! Bring our troops home now!
Please spread this message and accompanying articles on today’s sad events widely. We can and must change the world! jamie
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BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Two U.S. Marines were killed in separate insurgent attacks west of Baghdad, the U.S. military said in a statement on Sunday.
The army said one Marine was killed in action on Saturday and the other died on Sunday from wounds received in a separate engagement on Saturday.
The deaths raise to 411 the number of U.S. troops killed in action since U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq (news - web sites) to overthrow Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) a year ago.
The area west of Baghdad, including the town of Falluja, is a hotbed of anti-American activity. Earlier this week, four U.S. contractors driving through the town were killed and their corpses burned and dragged through the streets by a crowd.
The same day, five U.S. soldiers were killed in the same area when a roadside bomb detonated under their armored vehicle
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Protesters die in Iraq firefight
At least 19 people have been killed and around 100 injured in clashes between Spanish-led troops and demonstrators in the Iraqi city of Najaf.
Four soldiers from El Salvador and two from Iraq were reportedly killed in the firefight, which broke out when Iraqi protesters marched on their base.
The crowd were protesting in support of firebrand Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr.
The US administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, said protesters had "crossed the line and moved to violence".
Days of protests
The protest took place outside the garrison of the Spanish
Troops from El Salvador and other Spanish-speaking countries are also based at the camp.
One report said Spanish forces were pelted with stones, and responded by opening fire.
But one of the marchers, Hussein Ali, said the first shots came from the demonstrators.
"Some protesters, who were armed, fired toward the Spanish troops, who responded by firing on the crowd. It was carnage," he said.
At least some of those on the march were armed members of Moqtada Sadr's banned Mehdi Army militia.
The demonstrators joined the protest after hearing that one of his senior aides, Mustafa al-Yacoubi, had been arrested.
Spanish troops in the area said they had no information on the arrest.
The past few days have seen a number of demonstrations by Moqtada Sadr's followers, against the arrest of his aide and the closure of a pro-Sadr newspaper.
Mr Bremer said Iraqi people had acquired freedoms, but that they must be exercised peacefully.
"This morning in Najaf a group of people crossed the line and moved to violence. This will not be tolerated", he said.
He was speaking at a ceremony to initiate an Iraqi defence ministry and intelligence service, which he said would give Iraqis "the means to defend their country against terrorists".
Massud Barzani, the rotating president of Iraq's interim Governing Council, condemned Mr Sadr's followers for resorting to violence.
On Sunday demonstrations by Shia radicals also erupted in Baghdad and the southern port of Basra. Gunfire broke out in the Baghdad protest, but there were no reports of serious casualties.
US marines killed
The American military said on Sunday that two US marines had been killed in the province of Al-Anbar, a hotbed of anti-coalition violence.
"One marine was killed in action yesterday. The other marine died today from wounds received in separate action yesterday," it said in a statement on Sunday.
The US military declined to give any further information on the latest incidents for security reasons.
The US has lost 459 service personnel in Iraq since President Bush declared major combat over on 1 May 2003.
In Samarra, about 100km (60 miles) north of Baghdad, a bomb exploded near a checkpoint manned by Iraqi Civil Defence Corps personnel, killing three of them and wounding one, local hospital workers said.
And a car bomb exploded in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, wounding at least three people. Iraqi police said the target appears to have been a US convoy.
-----
Sunday, April 4, 2004 Posted: 3:20 PM EDT(1920 GMT)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Three U.S. soldiers were killed and at least 10 wounded in an ambush in a Baghdad neighborhood Sunday, a senior coalition official told CNN.
The killings in the Shiite majority Sadr City came on a day that saw deadly clashes between protesters and coalition forces in the holy city of Najaf, fighting in Baghdad and a car bombing in Kirkuk.
The chief U.S. civilian administrator in Iraq denounced Shiite protests in Najaf Sunday, saying the lethal demonstrations had exceeded the democratic rights to protest, speak and use the media.
"A group of people in Najaf have crossed the line and have moved to violence," Paul Bremer said. "This will not be tolerated by the coalition. This will not be tolerated by the Iraqi people. And this will not be tolerated by the Iraqi security forces."
Protesters opened fire on a Najaf garrison housing Spanish troops, and troops responded with return fire, a coalition spokesman said. Maj. Vicente Bizarroso said one coalition soldier was killed and 10 were wounded. Some news agencies said there were more troops killed, but the coalition did not confirm the reports.
Whether protesters were killed or wounded in the clashes remains unknown.
The Shiite protesters were demonstrating against what they saw as the coalition's targeting of Moqtada al-Sadr, an influential Shiite cleric who has spoken against U.S. presence in Iraq.
In Baghdad, where the day started with calm, clashes later erupted in the Sadr City neighborhood after an armed group believed loyal to al-Sadr took over police stations and other facilities in the Shiite neighborhood, a senior coalition said.
The United States has sent in more than a dozen tanks to try to restore order, the official said.
A car bomb detonated early in the afternoon in the Festival Square area of Kirkuk, said Shirko Shakir Hakim, commander of the northern city's police department.
Five Iraqis were wounded in the blast, including a child and a member of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, he said. A witness at the scene reported that a U.S. Military humvee was destroyed in the explosion, injuring an undetermined number of U.S. military personnel.
Masud Barzani, currently president of the Iraqi Governing Council, said such violence is "rejected by the Iraqi people in its entirety."
"Every act that leads to violence and to the losses of coalition forces is something we condemn strongly, and hope everybody would resort to peaceful and democratic means to express their opinions."
Iraqi Police Col. Kamal said demonstrators had traveled to Najaf from all over the country to call for the release of Mustafa al-Yaqoubi, Sadr's deputy, arrested by coalition forces. The coalition at first denied having arrested Yaqoubi but later confirmed the arrest.
Friends,
After the horrible scenes from Fallugah Iraq we see clearly that the Imperial mis-adventure of the U.S. will bear the most bitter fruit. It may be hard at this time for many on the progressive side of the fence to confront, but it is our duty to recognize the legitimate right of the Iraqi people to struggle to throw out the foreign occupiers who have denied them their sovereignty and who wish, under the cover of a “good deed,“ to plunder that nation‘s wealth. As was the French resistance to the Nazis a just cause, the efforts of Iraq’s citizens is equally justified. We will not, of course, rejoice in the barbarity that has been unleashed. But we know by whom and for what motives this has all come about.
Our leaders are responsible for these events. We must demand that they be held accountable. Yes, demand. Fredrick Douglas, the great abolitionist, recognized long ago that “power concedes nothing without a demand.” The top leadership of this nation are guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity if ever such violations have occurred. The facts and international law are not in the slightest doubt on these points. We must call forth an unblockable chorus for justice that cannot be hidden form our people. I for one cherish my right of free speech and will not allow it to be robbed from me by the likes of John Ashcroft and George W. Bush. Let’s hold their feet to the fire of humanity’s call for justice: “Nuremberg” trials now! Reparations for the citizens of the Iraqi nation now! Bring our troops home now!
Please spread this message and accompanying articles on today’s sad events widely. We can and must change the world! jamie
-----
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Two U.S. Marines were killed in separate insurgent attacks west of Baghdad, the U.S. military said in a statement on Sunday.
The army said one Marine was killed in action on Saturday and the other died on Sunday from wounds received in a separate engagement on Saturday.
The deaths raise to 411 the number of U.S. troops killed in action since U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq (news - web sites) to overthrow Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) a year ago.
The area west of Baghdad, including the town of Falluja, is a hotbed of anti-American activity. Earlier this week, four U.S. contractors driving through the town were killed and their corpses burned and dragged through the streets by a crowd.
The same day, five U.S. soldiers were killed in the same area when a roadside bomb detonated under their armored vehicle
-----
Protesters die in Iraq firefight
At least 19 people have been killed and around 100 injured in clashes between Spanish-led troops and demonstrators in the Iraqi city of Najaf.
Four soldiers from El Salvador and two from Iraq were reportedly killed in the firefight, which broke out when Iraqi protesters marched on their base.
The crowd were protesting in support of firebrand Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr.
The US administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, said protesters had "crossed the line and moved to violence".
Days of protests
The protest took place outside the garrison of the Spanish
Troops from El Salvador and other Spanish-speaking countries are also based at the camp.
One report said Spanish forces were pelted with stones, and responded by opening fire.
But one of the marchers, Hussein Ali, said the first shots came from the demonstrators.
"Some protesters, who were armed, fired toward the Spanish troops, who responded by firing on the crowd. It was carnage," he said.
At least some of those on the march were armed members of Moqtada Sadr's banned Mehdi Army militia.
The demonstrators joined the protest after hearing that one of his senior aides, Mustafa al-Yacoubi, had been arrested.
Spanish troops in the area said they had no information on the arrest.
The past few days have seen a number of demonstrations by Moqtada Sadr's followers, against the arrest of his aide and the closure of a pro-Sadr newspaper.
Mr Bremer said Iraqi people had acquired freedoms, but that they must be exercised peacefully.
"This morning in Najaf a group of people crossed the line and moved to violence. This will not be tolerated", he said.
He was speaking at a ceremony to initiate an Iraqi defence ministry and intelligence service, which he said would give Iraqis "the means to defend their country against terrorists".
Massud Barzani, the rotating president of Iraq's interim Governing Council, condemned Mr Sadr's followers for resorting to violence.
On Sunday demonstrations by Shia radicals also erupted in Baghdad and the southern port of Basra. Gunfire broke out in the Baghdad protest, but there were no reports of serious casualties.
US marines killed
The American military said on Sunday that two US marines had been killed in the province of Al-Anbar, a hotbed of anti-coalition violence.
"One marine was killed in action yesterday. The other marine died today from wounds received in separate action yesterday," it said in a statement on Sunday.
The US military declined to give any further information on the latest incidents for security reasons.
The US has lost 459 service personnel in Iraq since President Bush declared major combat over on 1 May 2003.
In Samarra, about 100km (60 miles) north of Baghdad, a bomb exploded near a checkpoint manned by Iraqi Civil Defence Corps personnel, killing three of them and wounding one, local hospital workers said.
And a car bomb exploded in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, wounding at least three people. Iraqi police said the target appears to have been a US convoy.
-----
Sunday, April 4, 2004 Posted: 3:20 PM EDT(1920 GMT)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Three U.S. soldiers were killed and at least 10 wounded in an ambush in a Baghdad neighborhood Sunday, a senior coalition official told CNN.
The killings in the Shiite majority Sadr City came on a day that saw deadly clashes between protesters and coalition forces in the holy city of Najaf, fighting in Baghdad and a car bombing in Kirkuk.
The chief U.S. civilian administrator in Iraq denounced Shiite protests in Najaf Sunday, saying the lethal demonstrations had exceeded the democratic rights to protest, speak and use the media.
"A group of people in Najaf have crossed the line and have moved to violence," Paul Bremer said. "This will not be tolerated by the coalition. This will not be tolerated by the Iraqi people. And this will not be tolerated by the Iraqi security forces."
Protesters opened fire on a Najaf garrison housing Spanish troops, and troops responded with return fire, a coalition spokesman said. Maj. Vicente Bizarroso said one coalition soldier was killed and 10 were wounded. Some news agencies said there were more troops killed, but the coalition did not confirm the reports.
Whether protesters were killed or wounded in the clashes remains unknown.
The Shiite protesters were demonstrating against what they saw as the coalition's targeting of Moqtada al-Sadr, an influential Shiite cleric who has spoken against U.S. presence in Iraq.
In Baghdad, where the day started with calm, clashes later erupted in the Sadr City neighborhood after an armed group believed loyal to al-Sadr took over police stations and other facilities in the Shiite neighborhood, a senior coalition said.
The United States has sent in more than a dozen tanks to try to restore order, the official said.
A car bomb detonated early in the afternoon in the Festival Square area of Kirkuk, said Shirko Shakir Hakim, commander of the northern city's police department.
Five Iraqis were wounded in the blast, including a child and a member of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, he said. A witness at the scene reported that a U.S. Military humvee was destroyed in the explosion, injuring an undetermined number of U.S. military personnel.
Masud Barzani, currently president of the Iraqi Governing Council, said such violence is "rejected by the Iraqi people in its entirety."
"Every act that leads to violence and to the losses of coalition forces is something we condemn strongly, and hope everybody would resort to peaceful and democratic means to express their opinions."
Iraqi Police Col. Kamal said demonstrators had traveled to Najaf from all over the country to call for the release of Mustafa al-Yaqoubi, Sadr's deputy, arrested by coalition forces. The coalition at first denied having arrested Yaqoubi but later confirmed the arrest.
jamie
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