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MicheleQJ
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171. "article: Baghdad carnage more than 'collateral damage'"
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Robert Fisk: Baghdad carnage more than 'collateral damage'

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3300883

27.03.2003
9.45pm - by ROBERT FISK
BAGHDAD - It was an outrage, an obscenity. The severed hand on the metal door, the swamp of blood and mud across the road, the human brains inside a garage, the incinerated, skeletal remains of an Iraqi mother and her three small children in their still smouldering car.

Two missiles from a single American jet killed them all - more than 20 Iraqi civilians, torn to pieces before they could be "liberated" by the nation that destroyed their lives. Who dares, I ask myself, to call this "collateral damage"?

Abu Taleb Street in the Sha'ab suburg of Baghdad was packed with pedestrians and motorists when the American pilot approached through the dense sandstorm that covered northern Baghdad in a cloak of red and yellow dust and rain yesterday morning. It's a dirt poor neighbourhood - of mostly Shia Muslims, the same people who Bush and Blair still fondly hope will rise up against Saddam - a place of oil-sodden car repair shops, overcrowded apartments and cheap cafes.

Everyone I spoke to heard the plane. One man, so shocked by the headless corpses he had just seen, could only say two words. "Roar, flash," he kept saying and then closed his eyes so tight that the muscles rippled between them.

How should one record so terrible an event? Perhaps a medical report would be more appropriate. But the final death toll is expected to be near 30 and Iraqis are now witnessing these awful things each day; so there is no reason why the truth - all the truth - of what they see should not be told.

For another question occurred to me as I walked through this place of massacre. If this is what we are seeing in Baghdad, what is happening in Basra and Nassariyah and Kerbala? How many civilians are dying there too, anonymously, indeed unrecorded, because there are no reporters to be witness to their suffering?

Abu Hassan and Malek Hammoud were preparing lunch for customers at the Nasser Restaurant on the north side of Abu Taleb Street. The missile that killed them landed next to the westbound carriageway, its blast tearing away the front of the cafe and cutting the two men - the first 48, the second only 18 - to pieces. One of their fellow workers led me through the rubble. "This is all that is left of them now," he said, holding out before me an oven pan dripping with blood.

At least 15 cars burst into flames burning many of their occupants to death. Several men tore desperately at the doors of another flame-shrouded car in the centre of the street which had been flipped upside down by the same missile. They were forced to watch helplessly as the woman and her three children inside were cremated alive.

The second missile hit neatly on the east-bound carriageway, sending shards of metal into three men standing outside a concrete apartment block with the words "This is God's possession" written in marble on the outside wall.

The building's manager, Hishem Danoon, ran to the doorway as soon as he heard the massive explosion. "I found Ta'ar in pieces over there," he told me. His head was blown off. "That's his hand." A group of young men and a woman took me into the street and there, a scene from any horror film, was Ta'ar's hand, cut off at the wrist, his four fingers and thumb grasping a piece of iron roofing. His young colleague Sermed died the same instant. His brains lay piled a few feet away, a pale red and grey mess behind a burned car. Both men worked for Danoon. So did a doorman at the building who was also killed.

As each survivor talked, the dead regained their identities. There was the electrical shop owner killed behind his counter by the same missile that cut down Ta'ar and Sermed and the doorman, and the young girl standing on the central reservation, trying to cross the road, and the truck driver who was only feet from the point of impact and the beggar who regularly called to see Mr Danoon for bread and who was just leaving when the missiles came soaring down through the sandstorm to destroy him.

In Qatar, the Anglo-American forces - let's forget this nonsense about "coalition" - announced an enquiry.

The Iraqi government, who are the only ones to benefit from the propaganda value of such a bloodbath, naturally denounced the slaughter which they initially put at 14 dead. So what was the real target? Some Iraqis said there was a military encampment less than a mile from the street, though I couldn't find it. Others talked about a local fire brigade headquarters, but the fire brigade can hardly be described as military target.

Certainly, there had been an attack less than an hour earlier on a military camp farther north. I was driving past the base when two rockets exploded and I saw Iraqi soldiers running for their lives out of the gates and along the side of the highway. Then I heard two more explosions - these were the missiles that hit Abu Taleb Street.

Of course, the pilot who killed the innocent yesterday could not see his victims. Pilots fire through computer-aligned co-ordinates and the sandstorm yesterday would have hidden the street from his vision. But when one of Malek Hammoud's friends asked me how the Americans could so blithely kill those they claimed to want to liberate, he didn't want to learn about the science of avionics or weapons delivery systems.

And why should he? For this is happening almost every day in Baghdad. Three days ago, an entire family of nine was wiped out in their home near the centre of the city. A busload of civilian passengers were reportedly killed on a road south of Baghdad two days ago. Only yesterday were Iraqis learning the identity of five civilian passengers slaughtered on a Syrian bus which was attacked by American aircraft close to the Iraqi border at the weekend.

The truth is that nowhere is safe now in Baghdad and as the Americans and British close their siege of the city in the next few days or hours, that simple message will become ever more real and ever bloodier. We may put on the hairshirt of morality in explaining why theses people should die. They died because of September 11, we may say, because of Saddam's 'weapons of mass destruction', because of human rights abuses, because of our desperate desire to 'liberate' them all. Let us not confuse the issue with oil.

Either way, I'll bet we are told that Saddam is ultimately responsible for their deaths. We shan't mention the pilot, of course.


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War Post- the meat & potatoes [View all] , guerilla_love, Tue Mar-18-03 04:16 AM
 
Subject Author Message Date ID
yummmy...meat and potatoes
Mar 18th 2003
1
my thoughts
Mar 18th 2003
2
RE: my thoughts
Mar 18th 2003
6
      RE: my thoughts
Mar 18th 2003
11
           RE: my thoughts
Mar 19th 2003
49
                RE: my thoughts
Mar 21st 2003
119
                     RE: my thoughts
Mar 22nd 2003
128
RE: Bush is the man!
Mar 18th 2003
3
Keep complaining
Mar 18th 2003
4
      RE: HUH???
Mar 18th 2003
8
      RE: Keep complaining
Mar 19th 2003
50
      Your "democracy" is a big joke.
Mar 21st 2003
102
      RE: Keep complaining
Mar 26th 2003
169
i feel ill.
Mar 18th 2003
5
RE: i feel ill.
Mar 21st 2003
111
This like every war ever is all about one thing
Mar 18th 2003
7
RE: Cosign
Mar 18th 2003
9
RE: This like every war ever is all about one thing
Mar 19th 2003
39
RE: War Post- the meat & potatoes
Mar 18th 2003
10
This war will be VERY interesting ...
Mar 18th 2003
12
two more
Mar 18th 2003
13
RE: two more
Mar 19th 2003
51
      RE: two more
Mar 19th 2003
52
      not at all
Mar 21st 2003
118
RE: This war will be VERY interesting ...
Mar 21st 2003
117
      But America has proven itself
Mar 22nd 2003
126
48 hour ultimatum proven to be BS
Mar 18th 2003
14
RE: 48 hour ultimatum proven to be BS
Mar 18th 2003
15
      RE: 48 hour ultimatum proven to be BS
Mar 19th 2003
53
did y'all see this
Mar 18th 2003
16
RE: did y'all see this
Mar 21st 2003
103
Also, do not burn oil fields...........................
Mar 18th 2003
17
RE: War Post- the meat & potatoes
Mar 18th 2003
18
RE: War Post- the meat & potatoes
Mar 19th 2003
40
RE: War Post- the meat & potatoes
Mar 18th 2003
19
i know now why we're in this
Mar 19th 2003
20
RE: i know now why we're in this
Mar 19th 2003
22
      she acted like
Mar 19th 2003
35
RE: War Post- the meat & potatoes
Mar 19th 2003
21
deep inside rage...
Mar 21st 2003
115
about seenic's article
Mar 19th 2003
23
the euro
Mar 19th 2003
24
the problem is
Mar 19th 2003
26
      RE: the problem is
Mar 19th 2003
28
           RE: the problem is
Mar 19th 2003
31
                RE: the problem is
Mar 19th 2003
33
                     wanted to ask about this
Mar 19th 2003
34
                          good question!
Mar 19th 2003
37
                               sounds too close to
Mar 19th 2003
45
                               RE: sounds too close to
Mar 19th 2003
59
                                    not brainwashed at all
Mar 20th 2003
71
                                    RE: sounds too close to
Mar 30th 2003
176
                               RE: good question!
Mar 20th 2003
68
                                    RE: good question!
Mar 20th 2003
69
More EURO proof...
Mar 19th 2003
61
      its pretty simple!
Mar 20th 2003
70
           EURO not OIL...you missed the point
Mar 20th 2003
72
                RE: EURO not OIL...you missed the point
Mar 20th 2003
81
                     RE: EURO not OIL...you missed the point
Mar 20th 2003
92
                          RE: EURO not OIL...you missed the point
Mar 21st 2003
104
RE: War Post- the meat & potatoes
Mar 19th 2003
25
comic relief
Mar 19th 2003
27
hehe
Mar 19th 2003
29
what i don't get is......
Mar 19th 2003
30
i know i wouldn't
Mar 19th 2003
32
huh??? (no spanish troop participation)
Mar 19th 2003
36
"Yeah, we got your back..."
Mar 19th 2003
38
      RE: "Yeah, we got your back..."
Mar 19th 2003
42
from michael moore:
Mar 19th 2003
41
RE: War Post- the meat & potatoes
Mar 19th 2003
43
Papa Bush Screw Up Twelve Years....
Mar 19th 2003
44
Depressing survey results
Mar 19th 2003
46
Not Really
Mar 21st 2003
106
Oh great
Mar 21st 2003
110
Al-Salaam Alayikum
Mar 19th 2003
47
Weapons inspector: 'US gave us wrong data'
Mar 19th 2003
48
Americans are such fucking IDIOTS!
Mar 19th 2003
54
yeah 'cause
Mar 19th 2003
55
War and Star Wars
Mar 19th 2003
56
RE: War and Star Wars
Mar 24th 2003
136
long and VERY thorough PNAC/policy article
Mar 19th 2003
57
article on news script approval
Mar 19th 2003
58
RE: article on news script approval
Mar 19th 2003
60
operation "shock and awe?"
Mar 19th 2003
62
RE: operation "shock and awe?"
Mar 20th 2003
75
WAR HAS BEGUN!!!
Mar 19th 2003
63
let us NOT forget that
Mar 19th 2003
64
RE: let us NOT forget that
Mar 19th 2003
65
WOO!!!!
Mar 20th 2003
67
      What kind of sick fuck cheers for war?
Mar 20th 2003
73
           ahahahahahah!!!!!
Mar 20th 2003
80
                In all seriousness, it's not a funny or happy thing...
Mar 20th 2003
91
                Word ...
Mar 20th 2003
94
                What an idiot
Mar 21st 2003
107
CIA Had him
Mar 19th 2003
66
Are we this stupid??
Mar 20th 2003
74
America's $400bn war bill
Mar 20th 2003
76
RE: U.S. brainwashed?
Mar 20th 2003
78
      RE: U.S. brainwashed?
Mar 21st 2003
114
Damn
Mar 20th 2003
77
Co sign!
Mar 20th 2003
83
      RE: Co sign!
Mar 20th 2003
86
           Lurkin' more than anything
Mar 25th 2003
153
is bush forrest gump in a suit?
Mar 20th 2003
79
This War=Bullshit
Mar 20th 2003
82
oh no....(iraqis detained)
Mar 20th 2003
84
RE: Thanks LexM
Mar 20th 2003
90
RE: oh no....(iraqis detained)
Mar 22nd 2003
129
we who are about to die salute you
Mar 20th 2003
85
From a kenyan newspaper
Mar 20th 2003
87
RE: From a kenyan newspaper
Mar 20th 2003
88
My new opinion.
Mar 20th 2003
89
RE: My new opinion.
Mar 20th 2003
93
Sorry if I wasn't clear...
Mar 20th 2003
95
RE: About this war....
Mar 20th 2003
96
      I'm aware of everything you just said.
Mar 20th 2003
98
RE: My new opinion.
Mar 20th 2003
97
Ugh that post was messed up something terrible.
Mar 20th 2003
99
RE: My new opinion.
Mar 24th 2003
140
      Russians providing Iraqi's with technology to help kill
Mar 24th 2003
141
      Agreed
Mar 24th 2003
143
RE: War Post- the meat & potatoes
Mar 20th 2003
100
Depends on what you mean by support.
Mar 20th 2003
101
I support the individuals, not the collective
Mar 24th 2003
144
War of Misinformation
Mar 21st 2003
105
What is the Coalition of the Willing?
Mar 21st 2003
108
another interesting message board
Mar 21st 2003
109
Weekend: Info on events going down?
Mar 21st 2003
112
A Socialist Perspective
Mar 21st 2003
113
War sign of End Times????
Mar 21st 2003
116
the relevance of this
Mar 21st 2003
120
Bush Sr. still supported Saddam after Halabja
Mar 21st 2003
122
      i wasnt making a point
Mar 23rd 2003
133
           of course you were making a point
Mar 26th 2003
165
                yes i know all of that
Mar 26th 2003
167
                     if you knew all of that
Mar 27th 2003
173
                          trying
Mar 27th 2003
174
                               you should pick another starting point for your context
Mar 27th 2003
175
why isnt iraq using any of its horrible weapons?
Mar 21st 2003
121
exactly for this reason
Mar 22nd 2003
127
Turkish troops have crossed into Kurdish Northern Iraq
Mar 21st 2003
123
yeah
Mar 21st 2003
124
3rd u.s. diplomat resigns
Mar 22nd 2003
125
text of letter
Mar 30th 2003
177
more lame protestors
Mar 22nd 2003
130
The Lame Ass Fench!!!!
Mar 22nd 2003
131
combat pay is UP TO $150.00 per month.
Mar 23rd 2003
132
um....
Mar 23rd 2003
134
RE: combat pay is UP TO $150.00 per month.
Mar 24th 2003
138
      Suave Bro - where ya at????
Mar 24th 2003
139
ANALYSIS: DOUBTS RAISED ON STRATEGY............
Mar 23rd 2003
135
its war goddamit
Mar 24th 2003
137
you said a lot
Mar 24th 2003
142
      RE: you said a lot
Mar 24th 2003
146
           subjectivity??
Mar 25th 2003
150
                RE: subjectivity??
Mar 25th 2003
154
Respect or Disrespect Canada?
Mar 24th 2003
145
respect
Mar 25th 2003
147
      but y
Mar 25th 2003
158
article: Carlyle Group
Mar 25th 2003
148
article: The Big Lie
Mar 25th 2003
149
Cheney's Lesbian Daughter en route to Baghdad...
Mar 25th 2003
151
wow
Mar 25th 2003
152
yo, did you read an american source? cheney's staff say
Mar 25th 2003
156
UN UPRISING!!!!!!!
Mar 25th 2003
155
AN uprising..i hate typos
Mar 25th 2003
157
once again you took to the lie too soon
Mar 26th 2003
160
      um...
Mar 26th 2003
168
RE: A few questions...
Mar 25th 2003
159
good questions
Mar 26th 2003
161
article: SIX DAYS OF SHAME
Mar 26th 2003
162
How we won the american revolution
Mar 26th 2003
163
war brough to you by pnac
Mar 26th 2003
164
US gov't. delegation reported to seek cease fire
Mar 26th 2003
166
Take the Iraq Quiz.
Mar 26th 2003
170
American forces out maneuvered
Mar 27th 2003
172

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