Developments overseas
Anti-US resistance grows in Iraq and Afghanistan

Basahin ang artikulong ito sa Pilipino

The US is now reaping the whirlwind from the evil wind it had sown in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead of achieving stability and security for its interests, the US now faces the people's growing anger and resistance over its occupation of these two countries.

IN IRAQ. The Iraqis' resistance to the occupation of their country by American troops is intensifying. Far from having feelings of jubilation, there is widespread and intense hatred among the people for the US� aggression and its occupation of Iraq, which has caused the death of over 7,000 Iraqi civilians.

Incomplete reports state that over 40 US troops have already been killed since May due to Iraqi resistance to the occupation forces. In the first three weeks of June alone, 13 American soldiers had already been killed and scores wounded.

Firing at US convoys during the night in the areas surrounding Baghdad is now a common occurrence.

On June 12, the Iraqis brought down a US AH-64 helicopter. Because of the unexpected intensity of the Iraqi people's resistance, the US has launched successive military operations against them. No less than 27 Iraqis were killed in a military operation on June 12, including five peasants who were mercilessly fired upon in their pasture.

The US is now hitting back blindly at an unseen enemy. It launched Operation Peninsula Strike where over 370 people were arrested. On June 15, it launched Operation Desert Scorpion where over 400 people were rounded up from 47 raids conducted by American soldiers in Tikrit, Kirkuk and Baghdad. Many of those arrested were innocent civilians, thus further enraging the Iraqis.

Another indication of the Iraqis' defiant stance towards the US was the poor compliance with a two-week grace period given by the US for Iraqis to surrender their arms.

It is now estimated that over 200,000 troops would be needed to maintain the occupation, up from the 160,000 American and British soldiers that are now in Iraq.

IN AFGHANISTAN. US forces remain on edge with their occupation of Afghanistan despite over a year and a half of occupation and having put a puppet regime in place.

Apart from rallies against abuses committed by US occupation troops against civilians, armed attacks against American soldiers and the puppet forces of the Karzai regime continue.

On June 3, over 100 Afghan guerrillas attacked militia forces of the Karzai government in Kandahar province, close to the Afghan- Pakistani border. The fighting continued until the next day.

According to reports, nine puppet forces were killed and six were wounded in the attack. It was the biggest assault on government forces since April when 28 Taliban forces were allegedly killed in fighting also in the province of Kandahar.

The Karzai puppet government unleashed brutal retaliation. During the June 3-4 clash, included among the 40 alleged Taliban guerrillas killed were civilians who were slaughtered by government forces when the Taliban withdrew to their area.

21 June 2003
English Edition

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