| Date: | Tuesday April 29, @12:23AM |
|---|---|
| Author: | nmb |
| Topic: | News |
| from the dept. | |
Apr 29 2003
By Naveed Raja
American troops were today accused of gunning down up to 17 Iraqi civilians staging an anti-US protest near Baghdad.
Residents of the town of Falluja said between 13 and 17 people were shot dead last night when soldiers occupying a local school opened fire on unarmed demonstrators calling for the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq.
But Colonel Arnold Bray of the 82nd Airborne Division said only seven people in the crowd were shot and that they were carrying firearms.
American troops on the scene told Al-Jazeera and CNN they retaliated when they came under fire after asking the crowd to disperse.
The incident in the town 30 miles to the west of Baghdad enraged the local population.
Muslim cleric Kamal Shaker Mahmoud, who lives near the school, said: "They opened fire on the protesters because they went out to demonstrate."
And Shuker Abdullah Hamid expressed common sentiments as he helped bury his cousin at a local cemetery.
"They are stealing our oil and they are slaughtering our people," he said.
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printed from US Troops shot dead 17 Iraqi Protestors on 2004-05-06 07:57:57