Saddam cousin says U.S. bombings no different than campaign against Kurds

[sabra]

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=0b9e8e8b-8126-4c4a-95c1-575827c22bdb&k=10271


Saddam cousin says U.S. bombings no different than campaign against Kurds

BAGHDAD (AP) - Saddam Hussein's cousin drew a parallel on Wednesday between a recent U.S. bombing of a civilian neighbourhood in Baghdad and the former government's Anfal military campaign against the Kurds during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

Ali Hassan al-Majid, dubbed "Chemical Ali" in the western media for allegedly using chemical weapons against the Kurds, said the Anfal operations were aimed at saving Iraq from internal and external enemies.

When asked by the Chief Judge Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa about the collective punishment in demolishing and bombing Kurdish villages that contained women and children, al-Majid said the Americans did the same during recent clashes on Haifa Street in Baghdad.

"I heard on the radio that the American airplanes bombed Haifa Street," he said.

"Were all the residents on this street members of resistance or only some of them? Why were we not allowed while the Americans are allowed to do the same thing."

[Dhalgren]

1. Good damned question, Ali. Good damned question....

[Double T]

2. The parallels between the two regimes is uncanny...........

BUT there had been a lot of 'friendly' interaction between the two regimes back in the day; hard to determine which was more evil.

[Benhurst]

3. I saw a program several years ago about the cobbler who made

high-priced, hand-made, Italian shoes for Saddam and Dubya.

I guess Dubya knows first hand what it is like to walk in the shoes of the late Iraqi dictator.

[rcdean]

4. Ben Tre all over again

It is maddening that we have consistently conducted offensive operations and even bombings in civilian areas. The primary goal of the entire effort should be winning hearts and minds. That's the only way to "win" a guerilla war. Bombing neighborhoods makes a mockery of such a goal.

In Nam, in Feb '68 while on orders to go, I read in Time about the city of Ben Tre. A reporter and a colonel in charge of some unit were watching from a hilltop as B-52s, called in by the colonel, bombed the city of Ben Tre--a city of 35,000--which had become "infiltrated," the colonel said, by a batallion of NVA (North Vietnamese Army).

The reporter expressed shock, noted the size of the city and the errancy of B-52 bombs and asked how we could be doing such a thing. "In the course of events," explained the colonel, "it became necessary to destroy the city in order to save it."

[Nihil]

5. Only one difference

Saddam dangled from a rope.
Guess who didn't.

[LynnTheDem]

6. So far.

[IndianaGreen]

7. Amerika has killed more Iraqis in 4 years than Saddam ever did

Who are the real butchers of Baghdad?