Devastation, bitterness and glimmer of hope: Snapshots in the aftermath of

[leftchick]

Devastation, bitterness and glimmer of hope: Snapshots in the aftermath of Fallujah's invasion


http://www.boston.com/dailynews/342/world/Devastation_bitterness_and_gli:.shtml

<snip>

FALLUJAH, Iraq (AP) The mangled cables and trash that litter the power station's control room do not bother Adil Raffah. But the bespectacled chief engineer begins to shake when he sees the desk he has worked behind for 25 years, now smashed.

''Only animals could do this, no Iraqi, never,'' he whispers, picking up a hammer left on the floor. ''It must have been the Americans.''

Ismail Kasim, the plant's senior adviser, tries to reassure him. ''It's nothing, we can fix this in a few hours,'' he says.

To the U.S. Marines combing Fallujah, the appearance of these two men is a positive sign: Perhaps they can play a small role in getting the shattered city up and running again. Kasim is said to know the power grid in this part of Anbar province, which includes Fallujah, better than anyone.

But the two Iraqis may not be so willing to play the part.

''I'm doing my job for my country and my family, not for the Americans,'' Kasim says. What hurts most, he adds, is that he still cannot go back into the city. ''I don't know what happened to my home,'' he says.

Kasim and Raffah are just two of the thousands of people who will begin trickling back into this devastated city after a massive U.S.-led invasion, when at least 1,200 insurgents were killed and more than 1,000 suspects were captured. More than 50 Marines and eight Iraqis were killed.

.... hmmm, no mention of how any innocent Iraqis were slaughtered.



U.S. Marines of the 1st Division advance further into the western part of Fallujah, Iraq (news - web sites) on Nov. 14, 2004. Once known as the 'city of the mosques,' Fallujah is now a landscape of pancaked multistory buildings, ruined homes and broken minarets that testify to the overwhelming firepower the U.S. military employed to retake the city. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

[jamesinca]

1. 1200 killed

They call them insurgents to sooth their tortured souls and justify an illegal, immoral war.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

4. FauxSnooze calls them terrorists for the sake of their dumbed down

audience.

http://www.antiwar.com/orig2/hornberger042504.html
What fascinates me is how people at FOX News have convinced themselves that they’re “supporting the troops” while supporting the U.S. government’s continued occupation of Iraq. After all, no one can honestly still claim that the troops are dying for “freedom” because Saddam Hussein is now in jail. Moreover, according to Iraqi Shi'ite Sheik Raed Saadi, it is now Sunni and Shi'ite Muslems in Iraq who are uniting “to liberate” (his words) Iraq from the occupiers.

“Well, they’re dying in the war on terrorism,” is now the response of FOX News commentators, embracing the government’s attempt to morph its unprovoked war of choice against Iraq into its “war on terrorism.”

"The cause of liberty becomes a mockery if the price to be paid is the wholesale destruction of those who are to enjoy liberty."
- Gandhi

[maddezmom]

2. just reading this on yahoo...once the city of mosques now pancaked multi.

Once known as the "city of the mosques," Fallujah is now a landscape of pancaked multistory buildings, ruined homes and broken minarets that testify to the overwhelming firepower the U.S. military employed to retake the city.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. what a great way to win the hearts and minds of people!

I'm sure if you asked Bush's supporters how they would feel if their town was pancaked, their churches destroyed, they'd say, "Well, that's different. We're AMERICANS!" I'm beginning to wonder if these type of people are part of the human race.