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A US sniper in Fallujah
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On
April 17th I attended a press conference at the
Ministry of Health, held by the US-appointed Iraqi Minister of
Health, Khodair Abbas. While his main reason for holding the
press conference was to stave off criticism of not doing enough
to assist (medically) the besieged and suffering residents of
Fallujah, he vehemently stated his anger about the intentional
targeting of ambulances by US snipers.
Not
only did he acknowledge that this was occurring, but that he
himself had pressed the Iraqi Governing Council and Paul Bremer
for an explanation as to why these human rights violations are
occurring. After all, the intentional targeting of ambulances is
a direct violation of the 4th Geneva Convention.
He
said that the
US
military had accused mujahedeen in Fallujah of using ambulances
for fighting, and that is why they were firing on them. Perhaps
there is some truth in this, but at the same time, ambulances
that are being used legitimately are being targeted as well, and
innocents are dying. Three humanitarian relief workers, two of
which are Westerners, rode in an ambulance that received 5
sniper rounds through it.
Jo
Wilding, a British activist, was one of these. She said, “I
was in an ambulance trying to reach a pregnant woman in Fallujah
and
US
marines tried to shoot us. You can tell the difference between
the marines and the mujahedeen by the shape of their rounded
helmets and bulky flack jackets. Mujahedeens wear scarves around
their heads and civilian clothes.”
She
said they also shot at the ambulance she was riding in: “I
could see the red tracer bullets as they passed us from where
the
US
soldiers were. There was no other fighting going on. Our
ambulance returned to the clinic with a new bullet hole in
it.”
The
Iraqi Red Crescent (IRC) has filed a formal complaint against
the
US
military for intentionally firing upon ambulances in Fallujah.
While the
US
military has accused the IRC of delivering weapons into
Fallujah, the IRC denies this charge while stating that some
people have forged their logo in order to use vehicles posing as
those providing aid to deliver weapons into the embattled city.
“Why
are they not allowing ambulances into Fallujah?” |
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Three
families of refugees from the besieged city of
Fallujah
who are seeking refuge in Al-Adhamiya,
Baghdad
, stated recently that the conditions in Fallujah are “a
horrible disaster.”
One
of the refugees, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that
US snipers continued to take their toll on the civilians inside
the city. “There were so many snipers, anyone leaving their
house was killed,” he said.
Abdul
Aziz, the 15 year-old son of Abu Muher, stated, “I saw two of
my neighbors shot by US snipers when I went outside one time.
Most times, we were too afraid even to look out of our
windows.”
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“The
stench from the dead bodies in parts of the city is
unbearable.”
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Another
refugee, speaking on condition of anonymity, angrily stated,
“This is the way the Americans are freeing
Iraq
?
America
’s freedom is killing Iraqis. Fallujah is becoming another
Palestine
. How long will we have to live like this?”
The
neighbor of Abu Muher, Abdel Salam, said, “Sunday when we left
the city, we saw an ambulance from the UA Emirates turned around
from the main checkpoint by the Americans. Why are they not
allowing ambulances into Fallujah?”
Khalid
Abu Mujahed, a spokesman for the Islamic Party inside Fallujah,
stated that on April 21st the
US
military broke the cease fire by invading Julan and the
Industrial area of Fallujah. He added, “This is a disaster!
Only a few people can get to the main hospital because the
Americans are controlling it. Snipers are firing into Julan and
killing so many civilians.”
He
sadly reported, “We have at least 700 dead from the
fighting… so many of them are children and women. The stench
from the dead bodies in parts of the city is unbearable.”
At
Yarmouk
Hospital
, a lead doctor said that he is outraged by the situation in
Fallujah, which he calls a massacre, “The Americans shot at
some of our doctors who were traveling to Fallujah to provide
aid. One of our doctors was injured when a missile struck his
vehicle. I have also been told by my doctors in Fallujah that
the Americans are shooting ambulances there, as well as at the
main hospital there.”
He
continued, “One of my doctors in Fallujah asked the Americans
there if he could remove a wounded patient from the city. The
soldier wouldn’t let him move the victim, and said, ‘We have
dead soldiers here too. This is a war zone.’ The doctor
wasn’t allowed to remove the wounded man, and he died. So many
doctors and ambulances have been turned back from checkpoints
there.”
This
same doctor reported that he saw American soldiers killing women
and children, as well as shooting ambulances in Fallujah.
Dahr
Jamail
is an American freelance journalist based in
Iraq
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