On CNN, I just heard a whole segment on how violence had been abated in Iraq.
I suppose this depends on one's definition of violence. 37 US/UK/Other Soldiers died this month in first 27 days. 505 Iraqi Security Forces and Civilians died so far this month. ...and these are just the ones reported.
The story below is buried in today's news on the back page somewhere. Perhaps you missed hearing that people like you and me, on their way to work, were killed. According to U.S. officials, US warning bullets ricocheted and might have killed at least two or three people and they weren't terriorists. I guess these excuses suggest that these deaths don't count as violence either:
Shootings at US roadblocks Kill 5 Iraqis
By LORI HINNANT
Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD (AP) -- U.S. troops fired on vehicles at checkpoints in Baghdad and northern Iraq, killing a child and at least four other people, the military command said Tuesday. It also said it was checking a report an American patrol shot at civilian cars near a Baghdad bridge, killing two Iraqis.
Roadblock shootings have consistently fed anti-U.S. sentiment among many Iraqis since the arrival of American forces in 2003. U.S. troops have been hit by suicide car bombs numerous times since 2003 and act quickly to protect themselves when a driver ignores orders to stop.
Also Tuesday, two American soldiers were killed in an explosion in Salahuddin province, north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said. They were the first U.S. combat deaths reported in five days.
The roadblock shooting in Baghdad took place Tuesday morning in a northern neighborhood known to be a Shiite militia stronghold as a minibus driver picked up employees of the Rasheed bank, Iraqi police said.
U.S. troops fired warning shots when the bus reached the checkpoint and tried to drive through, killing as many as four passengers, including three women, police and hospital officials said.
"As I understand it, some of the warning fire ricocheted and may have killed two to three individuals," said Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, a U.S. military spokesman.
What do you think?
What counts as violence today?
It makes my heart hurt.
Debbe
Debbe Kennedy
Founder, Global Dialogue Center
http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com
http://www.debbekennedy.com
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