Sunday, December 07, 2003

PENTAGON PROPAGANDA?
The true story of the battle of Samarra


From the London Independent via J. Orlin Grabbe:

Nearly a week has elapsed since the American military issued the startling claim - puzzling even some within its own ranks - that its troops killed 54 guerrillas during running gunfights in the Sunni town of Samarra.

Official versions described how dozens of Fedayeen guerrillas wearing red or black chequered headscarves and dark shirts and trousers attacked troops in the bloodiest engagement since the US-led occupation of Iraq last April - and lost.

Repeated visits to the scene, interviews with Iraqi civilians and US soldiers, and close inspection of the battle damage by scores of correspondents have failed to eliminate several troubling and crucial questions. Where are the bodies? Did they exist? Or was this death toll - as some suspect - a fabrication which was intended to generate positive headlines for the US, after a disastrous weekend in which guerrilla attacks killed 14 foreigners, including seven Spanish intelligence officers?


Click here for more.

After the Jessica Lynch show, it seems obvious that Rumsfeld's goons would tell just about any lies they feel they need to tell, including the inflating of body counts (which also happened in Vietnam, I might add). Jeez, do these guys ever tell the truth?

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