Americans massacre Iraqi civilians at Samarra

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Tuesday December 02, 2003 02:28 by David C.

As many as 54 dead

Reports from both sides indicate that a major massacre of civilians has taken place...

Detailed reports from Americans and Iraqis present at the bloody incident at Samarra yesterday are giving accounts that differ significantly from the official US reports.

An American Army team leader who was involved in the incident claimed today in a report to 'DefenseWatch' columist David Hackworth that "most of the casualties were civilians, not insurgents or criminals as is being reported". The soldier also reports that American troops "hosed the area down with 7.62 and 50cal MG (machine gun) fire". As many as 54 people died.
(see http://www.hackworth.com, news section)

This account was confirmed by Iraqi civilians present during the incident. One policeman in Samarra, Captain Sabti Awad, said that American troops fired randomly, killing and wounding civilians, after the U.S. convoys were attacked while they delivered money to banks. (from Associated Press report)

Brigadier General Kimmitt of the U.S. 4th Infantry Division also sought to play down earlier reports that many of the attackers wore the uniforms of the disbanded Saddam Fedayeen militia of the ousted regime. (from Associated Press report)