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Reports From Iraq > Wed., Apr. 28, 2004
More American Air Attacks on Fallujah
The head of Fallujah's besieged Askerie neighborhood says
last nights AC-130 gun-ship attack fired "rockets
on civilians and non-civilians." The result, he says:"a
lot of houses crushed down on top of the families." |
by Aaron Glantz
US Marines launched a fresh assault on the besieged Iraqi
city of Fallujah today, sending in air strikes and tanks.
Shelling and fierce exchanges of gunfire broke out in mid-afternoon
in the northwestern district of Golan, already pounded overnight
by a heavy airborne AC-130 gunship, first used in Vietnam.
The AC-130 gunship unleashed a barrage of fire - including
shells from a 105mm howitzer. Gunfire and explosions reverberated
for nearly two hours, and an orange glow shone over the area
while showers of sparks descended like fireworks.
"They entered with hummer patrols and soldiers,"
says Abu Mohammed is head of Fallujah's Askerie neighborhood,
which has borne the brunt of America's assault. "After
that, some shooting began between the Americans and the people
and then the helicopters that shot rockets on civilians and
non-civilians. A lot of houses were crushed down on top of
the families."
After that, Abu Mohammed fled Fallujah for Baghdad. He arrived
in a Red Crescent refugee camp this morning. He joined tens
of thousands of civilians have fled Fallujah since the American
assault began.
"My family fled to Baghdad when the siege started and
I've been there in Fallujah," he says. "For 24 days
in Fallujah I was sitting in my house. Just by myself in Fallujah
and then there is no water and no electricity and then I ran
out of food. So I thought to myself: "What the hell am
I waiting for?"
In Washington and Baghdad, US officials insist a cease-fire
is still in effect in Fallujah. In remarks Wednesday morning,
President George Bush blamed insurgents for the deaths. "They
want to kill innocent lives," he told reporters. "To
try to get us to quit -- it won't work." He said American
commanders would take "whatever actions necessary to
secure Fallujah on behalf of the Iraqi people."
In New York, the day before, United Nation's envoy for Iraq,
Lakhdar Brahimi mentioned earlier American assaults saying
continued US aggression made his job of building a new Iraqi
government much more difficult.
"There is little doubt that many lives have been lost
and much suffering has been endured by civilians," he
told the Security Council. "You have also seen on the
television screens, yesterday, images of yet another mosque
which had taken a direct hit. Reports today of attacks from
and on a mosque are a source of shock and dismay."
That shock and dismay has reverberated throughout Iraq turning
to anger -- especially in strongly Sunni Baghdad neighborhoods
like Adamiya where the resistance has been the strongest.
Abu Yassir, runs an auto repair shop in the neighborhood.
He said mujahadein fighters gathered in front of a neighborhood
mosque when they heard about the AC-130 Gunship assault. He
says the fighters first looked for an American military patrol
to attack. When none appeared, he says, they turned their
attention to the neighborhood police station.
"There were American snipers on top of the police station
and so we hit it," the mujahad says. "When anyone
puts himself on the American side he's a traitor -- even the
police. If they stand with the Americans they will die with
them."
"The mujahadein can handle the security if the police
go away," he assures me.
The cycle of violence continues.
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