The Bloody occupation of Iraq
By the third week of their bombing and artillery attacks, the US military�s advance forces had forced their way into the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. But the the US and the United Kingdom�s occupation of Iraq is far from being a fait accompli. Despite their inferior weaponry, Iraqi soldiers have been fighting bravely and have made the US� aggression and occupation far from easy.
Targetting civilians
US and British forces have been deliberately targetting civilians and civilian facilities to put the Iraqi people at their mercy. After 20 days, thousands of civilians have been killed and wounded.
In Baghdad, which has been the focus of the bombings, around 100 civilian casualties are being reported every hour. As US forces took over the international airport outside Baghdad, they destroyed the main power plant providing electricity to the city. This has affected facilities that supply potable water and disrupted normal hospital operations.
In Basra in southern Iraq, British forces bombed a large food store containing several weeks� worth of food supplies for the city. They also bombed the water supply facility on which 1.5 million Iraqis depend and the main power plant supplying electricity to Basra.
In the small town of Hillah in central Iraq, more than 60 were reported killed by coalition bombing on April 3. Most of the fatalities were children hit by cluster bombs. Hundreds more were wounded. Even more were buried in the rubble and have not been reported.
A few days earlier, American tanks had fired on a bus full of civilians in Hillah.
At the same time, US forces shelled Radwaniyeh, a small community in the outskirts of Baghdad as the Americans seized Baghdad airport. The US suspected the community of harboring Iraqi regular forces. Eighteen civilians were killed, 12 of them children.
In Nasiriyah, a market was struck by a cluster bomb on March 29, instantly killing 250 people in their homes.
In Najaf, American soldiers massacred seven women and children when their vehicle failed to stop at a checkpoint. A few hours later, another American soldier shot an Iraqi civilian out of fear that he was carrying a bomb.
In the nearby region of Haidariya, 15 members of a family were killed when an Apache helicopter bombed their truck. The US also bombed Shuale, a district outside Baghdad.
Fighting in Baghdad
Using tanks supported by fighter jets, coalition troops forced their way into and occupied key government buildings in Iraq. They destroyed power facilities as well as television and radio stations.
However, Iraqi soldiers constantly returned fire. They were positioned in strategic routes in the entire city, forcing American troops to retreat from time to time. To defeat the Iraqi forces, three US Air Force battalions were called in from Nasiriyah and Najaf to reinforce their troops in Baghdad.
Although the US forces already occupy several buildings, Baghdad is yet to fall under their complete control. Also, they are as yet unable to fully utilize the airport they had supposedly seized in southern Baghdad.
Many American soldiers are trapped inside Baghdad, cut off from their supplies, unable to obtain reinforcements and besieged by irregular Iraqi troops. Their advance or retreat is primarily dependent on air support.
Casualties among the aggressors
The US can no longer avoid exposing its troops to Iraqi counterattack. Their casualties are mounting. According to independent reports, by April 6, up to 255 American soldiers had been killed in action, 92 are missing, 785 wounded and 15 captured by Iraqi troops.
Iraqi troops are putting up a fight, taking advantage of their position and familiarity with the area to repulse or divert the invaders from time to time. They are paying dearly with every operation that exposes their troops and equipment. On the Iraqi side, 1,460 soldiers have been killed by the bombings, 800 wounded and 985 captured by coalition forces.
Control on mass media and propaganda
To control information coming from Iraq, the US and the UK embedded 600 journalists with their military units. Every hour, they release the statements of the US Central Command. Like their colleagues inside Iraq, their reports are monitored by the military. The troops decide what and when they can report. Those who violate their orders are kicked out. The US threatens and intimidates other journalists who do not subject themselves to the military command.
On April 5...
130,000 American and British troops took part in the actual invasion of Iraqi cities. They are part of a total of 250,000 troops in the Gulf. The US and the UK launched 725 Tomahawk cruise missiles, undertook 18,000 air missions, dropped 50 cluster bombs and unleashed 12,000 precision guided missiles. So far, 0 or no weapons of mass destruction have been found.
In southern Iraq, 1,500,000 people do not have drinking water and 200,000 children are in danger of dying due to diarrhea. 17,000 Iraqis rely on food aid which has been stalled by the war.
600 oil wells and refineries are now under American and British control. The US congress has earmarked $80 billion to defray the mounting cost of the war.
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