Guest guest Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 Z Tue, 16 Nov 2004 02:25:59 -0800 (PST) Burn, Fallujah, Burn Occupation Watch Bulletin www.occupationwatch.org November 14, 2004 By Assaf Kfoury PUTTING FALLUJA TO THE TORCH The conduct of US troops in Iraq has been a combination of extreme brutality and wholesale destruction. Brutality towards Iraqis has routinely come with systematic pillaging, if not wrecking, of the country's civil institutions and productive capacity. As if, when the time will finally come for US troops to go, they are determined to leave behind a landscape of ruins and carnage. Events in Falluja this past week epitomized this conduct once again. American troops started their offensive against Falluja on November 8 by occupying the main city hospital. According to the embedded New York Times reporter, soldiers " eagerly " kicked in the doors of Falluja General Hospital, and patients and hospital employees were forced to lie on the floor while troops tied their hands behind their backs. Although the NY Times reporter did not call it by its name, this was a war crime, turning a medical facility into a theatre of combat: Early Target of Offensive is a Hospital by Richard A. Oppel Jr. http://www.occupationwatch.org/article.php?id=7642 Two days earlier, another hospital in the city center had been razed to the ground by massive US air raids: US strikes raze Falluja hospital BBC News http://www.occupationwatch.org/article.php?id=7798 What followed was an orgy of killing and destruction, pitting warplanes, tanks and armored vehicles against insurgents armed with Kalashnikov rifles. Even when embedded reporters revel in the killing efficiency of US marines, they still describe the scene for what it is, a " sliver of apocalypse " -- not the scene of a movie set but of a real massacre, however casually described: Will Meets Resistance in Deadly Logic of War by Dexter Filkins & Robert F. Worth http://www.occupationwatch.org/article.php?id=7782 Terrified civilians trying to flee the city were pushed back, to face almost-certain death: Rights Lawyers See Possibility of a War Crime by Michael Janofsky http://www.occupationwatch.org/article.php?id=7769 By the end of the week, the US war machine had swept through most of the city, leaving behind shelled buildings, bullet-riddled cars and rotting corpses: Breaking a City in Order to Fix It by Edward Wong http://www.occupationwatch.org/article.php?id=7784 Ten days ago, commenting on the re-election of US President Bush on November 2nd, former British foreign secretary Robin Cook wrote: Bush will now celebrate by putting Falluja to the torch by Robin Cook http://www.occupationwatch.org/article.php?id=7800 Put Falluja to the torch, he did indeed. The logic is to put Iraqi insurgents on notice that they can expect horror in exchange for daring to resist a foreign occupier. Events of this past week bear witness to this criminal policy. The US government and its puppet regime in Baghdad will undoubtedly claim victory after laying waste to Falluja. This may turn out a Pyrrhic victory. As Patrick Cockburn notes, " it is likely to be as disappointing in terms of ending the resistance as the capture of Saddam " : The Crushing of Fallujah Will Not End the War in Iraq by Patrick Cockburn http://www.occupationwatch.org/article.php?id=7687 Former UN arms-inspector Scott Ritter observes that, " far from facing off in a decisive battle against the resistance fighters, it seems the more Americans squeeze Falluja, the more the violence explodes elsewhere. It is exercises in futility, akin to squeezing jello. " Squeezing Jello in Iraq by Scott Ritter http://www.occupationwatch.org/article.php?id=7697 Violence erupts across Iraq and aid agencies warn of disaster as US declares battle of Fallujah is over by Kim Sengupta http://www.occupationwatch.org/article.php?id=7774 New insurgency confronts US forces by Rory McCarthy and Michael Howard http://www.occupationwatch.org/article.php?id=7737 The overwhelming majority of the world remains opposed to this ruthless occupation. While Iraqis continue to pay its terrible price, they may take some comfort from world-wide sympathy for their agony. Several opinions from around the world were collected by the Toronto Star: 'What did Falluja do to deserve this?' Toronto Star http://www.occupationwatch.org/article.php?id=7799 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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