Home > Napalm Raid on Falluja? 73 charred bodies — women and children — were found

Napalm Raid on Falluja? 73 charred bodies — women and children — were found

by Open-Publishing - Monday 7 March 2005
8 comments

Edito Wars and conflicts International

by GIULIANA SGRENA

We buried them, but we could not identify them because they were charred from the napalm bombs used by the Americans». People from Saqlawiya village, near Falluja, told al Jazeera television, based in Qatar, that they helped bury 73 bodies of women and children completely charred, all in the same grave. The sad story of common graves, which started at Saddam’s times, is not yet finished. Nobody could confirm if napalm bombs have been used in Falluja, but other bodies found last year after the fierce battle at Baghdad airport were also completely charred and some thought of nuclear bombs. No independent source could verify the facts, since all the news arrived until now are those spread by journalists embedded with the American troops, who would only allow British and American media to enrol with them. But the villagers who fled in the last few days spoke of many bodies which had not been buried: it was too dangerous to collect the corpses during the battle.

Yesterday, for the first time since the beginning of the military campaign, the American Headquarters allowed a convoy of the Red Crescent (the Iraqi Red Cross) to enter the city with 7 ambulances and two trucks filled with food. In the past days the convoys of the humanitarian organizations were stopped on the other side of Eufrathes. Thus maybe we will now be able to obtain some more news on the conditions of the people who are left in the city — the majority fled — during 15 days of fierce and uninterrumpted attacks.

Yesterday Bill Taylor, responsible for the reconstruction of the Department of state, said that the United States government will spend more than 100 million dollars for the reconstruction of Falluja. The money will be invested in public buildings, private houses, shops, infrastructure. A destruction which could be avoided, if a different solution had been chosen for Falluja, as it was wished by many Iraqis. And what about all the civilians killed, of which the number is not known and probably never will? Will 100 million dollars be enough to gain back the trust of those who live in Falluja? Not likely, in fact, the opposite is more likely. It is in fact easy to foresee, even for the observers, that this “pacification” will not smooth the way for the elections. The anger of those who inhabit the Sunni triangle will more likely be exploited by those who are willing to do anything in order to avoid the vote.

http://www.ilmanifesto.it/pag/sgren...

Forum posts

  • U.N. should hold a meeting in Davos, not invite the U.S. and plan how to bring a Resolution against the U.S. for this illegal and immoral war and occupation in Iraq! The UN needs to recognize that the U.S. Administration doesn’t represent the desires of the population in the US.
    Citizens in the US are crying for the World to help free them from the Bush Tyranny!

    • I completely agree - this war crimes can not be treated as unseen. The international community
      should act, unfortunately most of the governments are corrupt.

    • The truth about the Amerikan terrorist activities in Iraq will seep out. The Bush administration is doing everything possible to avoid accountability for their insane acts of greed. The first Iraqi killed was too high a price to pay for the theft of Iraq’s oil and gold. These people were never elected, they have stolen the USA. And in the name of the US, they have murdered thousands of people, forced governments to sign waivers which would enforce international law and are so arrogant and, in a sense, powerful as to assume that they can continue this murdering, warring and terrorizing for as long as it takes to grab the worlds resources and enslave the people. It is not just Iraq, but Iraq is the horror, the unending pain, the suffering and result of the ultimate evil. What sort of people murder women and children without a thought or pang of guilt? Has this not happened before? The people of America do not agree with this war, many soldiers do not agree with this war. To the elites waging this war, people are canon foder. Iraq is just the beginning of their plans for domination. Next: when their coffers are bursting with gold, economic devastation. Keep spreading the truth. Watch North Korea.

    • syria first, then iran, then nth korea, russia and china. thats the hit list.
      ms sgrena the italian journo who wrote the piece about falluja survived an attempted hit by US forces (deliberate) that killed one of her italian guards. yes, banned weapons were used in falluja and elsewhere in iraq and afghanistan. maybe even nuclear given the horrifying state of some of the corpses seen do date - also there is depleted uranium - used to strenghthen munitions - hunreds of tons of it is slowly poisoning the country, its people and our soldiers with heavy radiation sickness, birth defects, cancers and slow death. also winds are carrying radiation from du dust around the globe.

    • Keep dreaming. The U.N. is held by their collective kahunas by the U.S. There will be no such action.

      You are just venting and grasping at straws with your expressed desires.

      Where were you when the U.S. ignored the U.N. and called it as being "irrelevent". I suspect you were firmly seated on the U.S. side as most all of America was. But now you ask for something that is not next to impossible but IS impossible.

      Let the conflict play out and see where it takes America.

    • the UN is another slave to the US, what is good for the US economy will benifit the countries of the UN. we all know the countries of the UN love that free oil just as much as we do.

    • Your suspicions are WRONG!! I was calling for Sadam to go to the U.N. and demand that they not let the U.S. start an illegal war of Agression! I have never and will never be on the side of a Country who wants to "control" the World, at all cost!
      The U.N. is only irrelevant if they allow themselves to be so... STEP 1 move their UN Headquarters out of the U.S..
      I hate to tell you but with the defecits, worn down military, outsourcing of jobs etc).. The U.S. is not this big in control of all, intimidating Superpower anymore!!

    • Well, first of all, there is already a second UN "center", if you will. It is located in Geneva, Switzerland. The entire UN body can easily meet there when needed. In fact, way back when the U.S. would not allow [PLO Chair] Arafat into the US to speak to the UN, the entire set of frontline UN reps and their support staff met there for his speach.

      This other center, is actually in better shape; that is, without the asbestos and ageing pipes and whatnot of the NY center. [Wait, one day, you may hear of the need for hundreds of millions of dollars needed to upgrade the NY facilities.]

      Even when the U.S. was not fully paying its dues for years [thanks to Sen. Jesse Helms, et al], the UN did not move from New York. They cannot. They are a captive tool to be used by the U.S. to direct its interests in the world — [contrast "control" with "direct"].

      Second, and the most important, is that the Muslim majority nations and Arabic nations’ leaders owe much to the U.S. for the power they hold. Thus, overall, they are extraordinarially weak. For example, a strong case can be made for Saddam Hussien’s reign and power itself. The U.S. and he go back to the days when he was a hired gun for the CIA and State Department. Back in 1958 or so Hussien tried to assasinate Al-Qasim on behalf of the U.S. [It will be interesting to see his trial and the judgement — I suspect, it will be along the lines of Noreaga. Remember him?]

      Okay, I’ll grant you the benefit of doubt about your calling Sadam Hussien to present himself and calling for no war against his country. However, the protocols of the UN do not allow for such a thing. Iraqi representatives at the UN and in Iraq presented their case as allowed — and, well, you can see their results in present day events.

      The U.S. can do whatever it wants in that region of the world and do most anything else it wants in the rest of the world. Now whether this is "real" might it uses or "virtual" is currently academic.