The real story of Baghdad's Bloody Sunday (The Independent)

[kpete]

The real story of Baghdad's Bloody Sunday
Six days ago, at least 28 civilians died in a shooting incident involving the US security company Blackwater. But what actually happened? Kim Sengupta reports from the scene of the massacre
Published: 21 September 2007

The eruption of gunfire was sudden and ferocious, round after round mowing down terrified men women and children, slamming into cars as they collided and overturned with drivers frantically trying to escape. Some vehicles were set alight by exploding petrol tanks. A mother and her infant child died in one of them, trapped in the flames.

The shooting on Sunday, by the guards of the American private security company Blackwater, has sparked one of the most bitter and public disputes between the Iraqi government and its American patrons, and brings into sharp focus the often violent conduct of the Western private armies operating in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, immune from scrutiny or prosecution.

Blackwater's security men are accused of going on an unprovoked killing spree. Hassan Jabar Salman, a lawyer, was shot four times in the back, his car riddled with eight more bullets, as he attempted to get away from their convoy. Yesterday, sitting swathed in bandages at Baghdad's Yarmukh Hospital, he recalled scenes of horror. "I saw women and children jump out of their cars and start to crawl on the road to escape being shot," said Mr Salman. "But still the firing kept coming and many of them were killed. I saw a boy of about 10 leaping in fear from a minibus, he was shot in the head. His mother was crying out for him, she jumped out after him, and she was killed. People were afraid."

At the end of the prolonged hail of bullets Nisoor Square was a scene of carnage with bodies strewn around smouldering wreckage. Ambulances trying to pick up the wounded found their path blocked by crowds fleeing the gunfire.

more at:
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2984819.ece

[tekisui]

1. Thanks for posting, I knew I had read 28 murdered.

[Disturbed]

2. Blackwater Mercs are murderous thugs & their leader

claims to be a Christian. After saying that Blackwater's license to kill will be revoked, the Iraqi Govt. backed down & the thugs are back on the job. Ms. Rice personaly called Maliki. What did she say to him to force him to back down?

[tekisui]

3. Muqtada Al Sadr! Boo!

[snappyturtle]

6. From what I gathered Rice told Maliki that there would be a

"transparent" investigation! We all know how those go. Maybe she coupled that response with a death threat?

[tom_paine]

8. Erik Prince is a BushChristian, not a Christian. He actually worships Satan.

It is charitable to say of him that he doesn't know it, on some level.

I think ALL the BushChristian Criminals know it, on some level.

[snappyturtle]

4. K&R Dreadful. Did any reporter question bush about this at his

presser this week? This has to stop.

[PA Democrat]

5. This is sickening. The PIG that owns Blackwater, Erik Prince,

is a big Bush and Republican contributor. He claims to be a conservative "Christian". He is a filthy war profiteer killing innocent civilians for profit.



Erik Prince, murderous war profiteer

[Disturbed]

7. Waxman is holding a Hearing on Blackwater.

Will this Prince of Death be Subpoened?

[leftchick]

9. Hassan Jabar Salman Video Interview....

http://therealnews.com/web/index.php?thisdataswitch=0&thisid=449&thisview=item

It would be great to see this on my TV!

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

10. Schwarzewasser Gesellschaft Polizei

[oscarmitre]

11. Geheime Staatspolizei? n/t