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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsU.S. Bombing of Amiriyah Shelter Kills 408 Civilians (Retrospective)
Allied warplanes, in a pinpoint bombing that sent shock waves far beyond Iraq, destroyed an underground shelter in Baghdad yesterday, and officials said 500 civilians were killed. The United States called it a military command center, not a bomb shelter.
...
"We don't know why civilians were at that location," said Marlin Fitzwater, President Bush's spokesperson.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xQZKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gB4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=1986,1529337
An Iraqi man holds a peace offering at the Al-Amiriya bomb shelter in Baghdad, where by Iraqi count 408 civilians died after a U.S. bomb and missile destroyed it in 1991. Photo: Paul Kitagaki Jr./Seattle Post-Intelligencer
THIS is what happens when the US launches "pinpoint bombings" abroad.
Gravitycollapse
(8,155 posts)Next to a gathering of innocent civilians, that little moment before the warhead explodes. In a blink of an eye, the warhead ignites, and the overpressure ruptures the internal organs of men, women and children. Shattering them to pieces. What isn't compressed into oblivion is charred into nothingness.
That warped rebar is a story of what happens when immense force meets an malleable object. But, like overstretched bubble gum, everything has a breaking point. That of the human body is much, much less than what has survived.
David__77
(23,421 posts)What is repulsive is that this incident didn't even dent the "rah rah rah" of the public in this country at that time. That's what's outrageous about the US pretending to be human rights cop. It's all power politics in reality.
Response to David__77 (Original post)
Turbineguy This message was self-deleted by its author.
David__77
(23,421 posts)It was clearly marked as a civilian shelter publicly. The US intelligence was just wrong.
I mean, if people are not safe in a civilian shelter, where should they go?
Response to David__77 (Reply #4)
Turbineguy This message was self-deleted by its author.
jtuck004
(15,882 posts)Response to jtuck004 (Reply #9)
Turbineguy This message was self-deleted by its author.
truebluegreen
(9,033 posts)there wouldn't have been one.
Who is to blame, if not the US?
ocpagu
(1,954 posts)How come?
Response to ocpagu (Reply #15)
Turbineguy This message was self-deleted by its author.
Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)Response to Comrade Grumpy (Reply #23)
Turbineguy This message was self-deleted by its author.
David__77
(23,421 posts)I'd never mean to imply that.
But that's the problem with military action and trying to take out "command and control" infrastructure - even with excellent intelligence tools and methods, these sorts of things can happen, and should be accounted for in any cost/benefit analysis when making decisions about whether or not to initiate a military action.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)that gives a whole new meaning to glossing over the details. Why not just say 'whoopsi doodles! lots of corpses, my bad!' and post some of the 'rofl' emoticons.
Response to Bluenorthwest (Reply #18)
Turbineguy This message was self-deleted by its author.
kelliekat44
(7,759 posts)David__77
(23,421 posts)I did so precisely because I wanted the reader to realize this is not a current event... But I do think that it certainly is something to consider when looking at what lies before us.
Response to David__77 (Reply #7)
Turbineguy This message was self-deleted by its author.
truedelphi
(32,324 posts)And one more salient point: In this case, Russia is not for us going against Syria. Period. Their naval defenders are now in the region, armed with missiles to take out our ships.
Some mistake gets made, and we could be looking at WWIII.
eridani
(51,907 posts)malaise
(269,054 posts)Of course those people were merely collateral damage.
dickensknitter
(24 posts)I'm glad you posted this. I had forgotten this incident.
Like Gore Vidal said... "united states of amnesia". I'm a citizen I guess.
History is important; the present is surrounded by it and interwoven with it.
How can we not repeat 'mistakes' if we don't remember them, acknowledge them, and try to understand all that went into making them.
This was a horrific 'mistake', but only part of a much larger and more horrific 'mistake'. Some 'mistakes' are crimes.
Cryptoad
(8,254 posts)let our Enemies Free Range?
geeez!
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)Limited thinking to be kind about it. Very, very limited.
indepat
(20,899 posts)Everyone can plainly see this was a military command center, not a shelter.