AFP: Air raid hits Baghdad hospital, US says 14 fighters dead
BAGHDAD (AFP) — A US air strike damaged a hospital in the Iraqi capital’s violent Shiite stronghold of Sadr City on Saturday, injuring 20 people, as American forces claimed to have killed 14 militiamen.
The US military said it carried out the strike in Sadr City, a bastion of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, where US troops in separate confrontations killed at least 14 militiamen since Friday.
“I can confirm that we conducted a strike in Sadr City this morning,” a US military spokesman told AFP. “The targets were known criminal elements. Battle damage assessment is currently ongoing.”
However, witnesses and an AFP reporter at the scene said the main Al-Sadr hospital had been badly damaged and a fleet of ambulances were destroyed.
Just outside the hospital, a shack which appeared to be the target was reduced to a pile of rubble.
The military said it destroyed a “criminal element command and control centre” at approximately 10 am (0700 GMT).
“Intelligence reports indicate the command and control centre was used by criminal elements to plan and coordinate attacks against Iraqi security and coalition forces and innocent Iraqi citizens.”
Hospital staff said at least 20 people wounded in the air raid were taken to the same hospital which had its glass windows shattered, and medical and electrical equipment damaged.
Doctors and hospital staff were livid they had been hit.
“They (the Americans) will say it was a weapons cache (they hit),” said the head of Baghdad’s health department, Dr Ali Bistan. “But, in fact they want to destroy the infrastructure of the country.”
He charged that the attack was aimed at preventing doctors and medicines reaching the hospital which is located inside an area of increased clashes between American troops and militiamen.
The corridors of the hospital were littered with glass splinters, twisted metal and hanging electrical wiring. Partitions in wards had collapsed.
The huge concrete blocks forming a protective wall against explosions had collapsed on parked vehicles, including up to 17 ambulances, disabling the emergency response teams.
Nurse Zahra was recovering from the shock of the attack.
“I was very afraid. I thought I would die. Everyone was scared. They ran in all directions,” she told AFP. “Now I am more sad than frightened because hospital facilities have been destroyed.”
Hospital guard Alaa Mohamed, 26, was at a side entrance when the bombs exploded. “There were five missiles that exploded outside the parking lot,” he said.
An AFP reporter saw three huge craters, each with a diameter of six metres (yards), created by the impact of the explosions. Youngsters climbed on top of the rubble and looked for anyone trapped underneath.
Residents said the shack that appeared to be the main target of the air strike was a transit point for Muslim pilgrims.
The AFP reporter witnessed several US helicopters sweeping above Sadr City amid a steady barrage of gunfire.
The strike came as the US military said it killed at least 14 Shiite fighters since Friday in a series of clashes around Sadr City.
The firefights which began at 7:20 am (0420 GMT) on Friday and have continued sporadically saw US forces use air support and tanks as they clashed with militants in the impoverished district of some two million people.
On Friday, an M1A1 Abrams tanks engaged “criminals” with one round from its main gun after Iraqi army soldiers reported being attacked by small arms fire from a house, the military said.
“Three criminals were killed in the engagements,” the military said.
Later Friday, a US warplane also dropped a bomb and killed two others. Nine other militants were killed in other exchanges, some of them early on Saturday.
US forces have been clashing with Shiite militiamen since March 25 in Sadr City. Hundreds of people have since been killed, with followers of Sadr accusing the military of killing civilians.
But US military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Steven Stover said the militants were using “innocent civilians as shields for their activity.”
AFP: Air raid hits Baghdad hospital, US says 14 fighters dead
Indexed under: American air attacks on civilian areas, American Assault on Sadr City, American attacks on civilians, American attacks on medical and humanitarian workers, American raids on hospitals, American War Crimes, Baghdad Hospitals, Child Killing, Civilian casualties, Sadr City (Hospital)
I can not express in words of my disgust. It is with great shame that I have to acknowledge that the people of Iraq have every right to hate my country. I make no excuses. I only wish to make a comparison. THIS, This horrific travesty is when fundamentalism takes control of ones country. Is George Bush a war criminal? Yes, I as an American I acknowledge that the leader of my nation, has committed, and permited our military to indulge itself in war crimes.
Need proof for trial? Our own soldiers(once back safe) Have admitted to shitting in mosques, to defiling the dead, to rape, to abuse. Yet Our government tries to hush them up. They even admit that they were encouraged by their commanders’ to not view the Iraqi people as people. Which cause one to ponder who is truly responsible, if it is known that a man will do harm to another willingly with malice; do you correct and say no you are a soldier(as one should), or as was done “sure go ahead.”.
After 9/11 those who wanted tojoin the army were taught, I repeat taught to hate. Not taught, that you are “here” (army)to right a wrong, to protect. Not to defile 200 yrs of history of service.
There is no moral difference between Bush and the men of Iraq who have killed the innocent women of Iraq in the name of honor. There is no difference between Bush’s interests and the interests of the puppet government he has put in and the men who kill innocent Iraqi women and Christians.
What is more disgusting is that now we are in the midst of our Presidential elections. Will the terrifying horror Bush started end with him? Sadly I think not. One candidate Hillary Clinton, stated she will not investigate our soon to be previous presidency. Barack Obama has stated that he would. Yet it has been brought up. (Can)Should evidence be found will we the nation accept this burden of guilt and prosecute our previous leader for war crimes, and violations of our nation’s own laws. The question being does the country posses the spine and fortitude to prosecute a leader of our country for the first time. I am disgusted to say this and ashamed to say this but in general consensus amongst those of us not blind to what is happening “not likely”.
Bush does not represent the America I was raised to love. Though being born during the Reagan administration, I question ideologically for how long that country has been dead.
I identify with Mohammed Ibn Laith. In terms of people whom are my friends being persecuted because of their faith. I am friends with Muslims, and I am proud to be their friend where I have been able to attend their wedding and witness not only the beauty Islam possesses, but of her culture. My other friend who married her is from Ecuador and converted from Mormonism to Islam to marry her. Me? I’m an atheist. And as a joke I’m “you heathen”.
Point being my said friends have had (indirectly)dealt with bigotry because of being Muslim. I of course defend them and despite their confusion and knowing why; still mention (sadly) oddly America accepts with fear the newest immigrants, instead of hey what can you add to the pot. Being that we were once a melting pot culture.
Being an American predominantly descended form the influx of Irish dysphoria 130 yrs ago I remember being told what great great grandpa had to deal with. Plus other prejudices other ancestors of mine dealt with at the turn of 20th century America form other backgrounds. And from that being 50% “Plastic Paddy” who am I to judge someone they way my family was once judged and how my country judges me. (Ask MarkfromIreland about us Plastic Paddy’s if you don’t get it)
My point is even despite differing beliefs we are friends, we are human. Bush represents himself and those who align with him. NOT ALL OF AMERICA. Because I read this and the English summary (War Criminal) as is obvious from the top of this that the prevalent ideology in Iraq is that it is “‘us’ against ‘them’”. Iraqi’s against Americans. And I want to say that it is not, it is Iraqi’s and (on idealogical front) Americans who do not hate you who want to help you and not have that help construed as something else (current situation) and have it spat on. Which is to be expected.
Christian Fundamentalism has driven a wedge between the American people who see you as fellow human beings and the reactionary nut case Americans who believe in the the quote that is at he top of this web address, as well there should be in idealogies of human compassion. But the nation is split, and many of us are realizing just how badly we have fucked up, and how that does not even cover it by a fraction.
One of our founding fathers of my nation had this to say while signing the Treaty of Tripoli. And it is something as an atheist I espouse with pride when Christian Fundamentalists state that “America is a Christian Nation”. Despite our separation of church and state. Where ever that went to when the Patriot act came in.
John Adams “As the government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen [Muslims] … it is declared … that no pretext arising from religious opinion shall ever product an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries….
“The United States IS NOT a Christian nation any more than it is a Jewish or a Mohammedan nation.”
This is how far we have fallen as a people our founders would most likely want to lynch us collectively as well.
And to further show Bush’s ability to be narrow minded, and hateful,and a worthless shack of shit has a father who said this.
“No, I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.” (since 1953, and now look where it got us)
And when asked for an apology. Said.
“What you should do for me is what you should do for everybody: Believe in God. Get off our backs.”
Any one who was raised by such a man who was a world leader, then gets said son in world leader spot is deplorable. But of me is insulted, but part of me is hey it’s not my America, it’s not my citizenry, you do not represent me.
This is of course no real consolation to any Iraqi. I would like to show though that America shits on (I know not bombing, maybe we’ll get thrown in jail for anti-Americanism like respecting you)it’s own citizens that it does not feel worthy of human respect.
As I finish I recall an event that scared the shit out of Iraq because it scared the shit out of me. Saddam fell, we caught him and some soldier placed our flag our symbol of freedom over Saddam’s face. Not Iraq’s flag, Iraq’s symbol of nationality, and new freedom. Our flag the flag of a new oppressor. Is what was seen. That is what was seen then at that moment by any one with a brain. It was what the fuck are you doing? Their symbols are not ours! And now that fear has come to pass as reality.
And for all the dead, maimed, injured, scared, ruined. I am forever sorry. I can only hope and ironically pray that you do see actual justice done. And not the hopeful feeling of justice that whatever hopes of revenge bring. Because we’re human, I’m human and I would want nothing more than to kill invaders into my country who have killed my loved ones out of nothing more than greed, hollow, misplaced(always)revenge, and hate.