Iraqi Health Minister Presses Authorities to Explain U.S. Targeting of
Falluja Ambulances
weblog entry by Dahr Jamail, The NewStandard
Baghdad, April 17 -- A thundering explosion rocked my bed at just before 8am
this morning ... followed by the cracking of light weapons fire. I met a few
of my friends shortly thereafter atop our apartment building, looking for
the smoke that often follows roadside bombs, but we were unable to spot the
location of the attack.
Life in Baghdad today continues to be lived on edge -- pins and needles
really -- awaiting the outcome of the Najaf standoff between U.S. troops and
Muqtada Al-Sadr. Everyone shudders to think what will occur if the U.S.
decides to invade the holy city where the radical Shia cleric is holed up.
Yet the U.S. policy of threatening him, then announcing the goal of
detaining or killing him has drawn more followers towards his radical and
violent ways. While Al-Sistani continues to attempt to keep his followers in
line, more are drawn to Al-Sadr for his open vehement thrashing of the
U.S.-led occupation. He refuses to acknowledge any legitimacy of the U.S. in
his country, and more and more Iraqis are nodding in agreement with his
speeches.
The danger, of course, lies in having Sistani and his followers drawn into
this conflict between Sadr and the U.S. military here.
I attended a press conference today at the Ministry of Health, led by the
Iraqi Minister of Health himself. In short, he held the press conference to
stave off criticism of not doing enough to assist (medically) the besieged
and suffering residents of Falluja, as well as some of the areas down south
where fighting has occurred.
Al-Iraqia television, the Coalition Provisional Authority-run propaganda
station that most of my Iraqi friends call the "CIA Station", was at the
press conference. They packed up and left promptly after the minister and
his two doctors finished their discussion, entirely missing the pointed
questions that were to follow.
A stunning surprise, however, was that the minister acknowledged the U.S.
military had been intentionally targeting ambulances in Falluja. He
expressed his outrage over the matter, and stated that he had personally
pressed the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) and Bremer for explanations about
why these human rights violations, as well as violations of the Geneva
Conventions, are occurring.
He said that the U.S. military had accused mujahedeen in Falluja of using
ambulances for fighting, and that is why Marines were firing on them.
Perhaps there is some truth in this, but at the same time, ambulances that
were being used legitimately are being targeted as well, and innocents are
dying. My personal friends Jo Wilding and David Martinez were riding in one
of these that received 5 sniper rounds through it. I can vouch that they are
not mujahedeen.
The minister said that he tried to negotiate with the military, promising to
try to insure that ambulances were cleared, and not being used by the
mujahedeen.
I asked the minister if he would comment on the U.S. military using cluster
bombs in Falluja. When I was in Falluja last weekend I took several
statements from citizens there that said cluster bombs were being used on
civilians (that they are being used at all in Falluja is a war crime), and
when my friends Jo and David returned there several days ago, they reported
hearing the distinctive sound cluster bombs make often through the night in
Falluja.
I too have heard the horrendous sound, for during my last trip in Iraq when
Al-Dora was being bombed on a nightly basis for a few nights, I heard the
other worldly sound--a long buzz which sounds almost like a roar, then an
explosion, another buzz, followed by several random explosions going off
(these would be the "bomblets"). It's really difficult to describe with
words, as I've never heard anything quite like it. A gruesome sound, knowing
that on the other end of it is found shredded and burning bodies.
A doctor sitting n
Posted by Hannah at April 18, 2004 05:37 PM