Fallujah Body Count: 'most of them women, children and the elderly'

[reprehensor]

Dueling versions of the same story.

In the Kansas City Star (registration required) you have this version:

"More than 600 Iraqis have been killed in Fallujah since Marines began a siege against Sunni insurgents in the city a week ago, most of them women, children and the elderly, the head of the city's hospital said Sunday."

Emphasis mine.

In the Guardian UK and the Atlanta Journal Constitution you have this redacted version:

"More than 600 Iraqis have been killed in fighting in Fallujah since Marines began a siege against Sunni insurgents in the city a week ago, the head of the city's hospital said Sunday."

Also from the Star:

"Asked about the report of 600 dead, Marine Lt. Col. Brennan Byrne said: "What I think you will find is 95 percent of those were military age males that were killed in the fighting."

"The Marines are trained to be precise in their firepower .... The fact that there are 600 goes back to the fact that the Marines are very good at what they do," he said.

A day earlier, Byrne, commander of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, said his battalion - one of three in or around the city - had confirmed 40 Iraqi insurgents were killed and 19 others were likely dead throughout the entire campaign."

Somebody, somewhere, doesn't have the story straight.

I think this one is worth emailing to all your contacts.

[reprehensor]

1. CBS is carrying this version...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/02/24/iraq/main541815.shtml?cmp=EM8707

"Statistics and names of the dead were gathered from four main clinics around the city and from Fallujah General Hospital, said the hospital's director, Rafie al-Issawi.

The dead totaled more than 600, most of them women, children and elderly, since the siege of Fallujah began early Monday, he said. Bodies were being buried in two soccer fields, one of which was visited by an Associated Press reporter. Row after row of graves filled the field."

Looks like a war crime to me.

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. Here's some more sources

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Follow the text links at the bottom of my post.

Remember, Tommy Franks said "We don't do body counts"

Translation, they don't CARE how many innocent Iraqis they kill.

But every brother, sister, mother father, family member and friend cares.

Their hatred will forever haunt the United States of America.

Anyone realize that over HALF A MILLION Iraqis were killed in Gulf war1.

So 10,000+ civilians and 5000+ military Iraqis is just a start

There's only ONE reason that the US doesn't want reporters around.

They don't want the world to know what they are doing over there.

Check the links, and the ones they follow.

LOTS in there

I don't put much faith in the numbers from the Dept. of Death.
.

[rfkrocks]

3. this is a disgrace-and the problem lies with the "liberal media"

where are the stories on this?-we need to hear the truth from our media because the regular us citizen won't believe media from other countries-our reporters have given up on the Iraqis side of the story and as a consequence we get filtered news-we have been let down by our independent voice who are willing co opted by the government

[riverwalker]

4. massacre, not "uprising"

For one thing, start using the term massacre or war crime or atrocity. Do not call it an "uprising" or "insurgency". This the Fallujah Massacre and I hope to god someone is documenting the evidence before it is lost. Bremer, see you at the Hague, you asshole.

[reprehensor]

5. Fallujah Massacre.

Yup. Sounds appropriate.