April 02, 2003
Photos Tell Gruesome Tale
US forces have begun a major attack on the outskirts of Baghdad today, this comes as early in the day US marines today shot dead another unarmed driver and badly wounded his passenger at a roadblock in the southern town of Shatra, south of Baghdad. Meanwhile yesterday 33 are reported to have died when US helicopter gunships hit a residential neighborhood in the city of Hilla. And today, reports from Baghdad say US-UK aircraft have bombed a Red Crescent maternity hospital in the Iraqi capital. Mark Harold a researcher for the independent organization counting civilian deaths in Iraq, iraqbodycount.org and author of “Blown Away, Myth and reality of American Precision Bombing” received photos of the attack this morning.
Powell in Turkey
Colin Powell leaves Turkey this evening with the promise of a written document from Turkish officials allowing for ground transport of fuel from Turkey to US Troops being airlifted to Northern Iraq. The document will also explicitly state the United States will ntt station any additional troops on Turkish soil. From Ankara, Aaron Glantz and Ezgi Saritas report.
Congress on $ for War
Debate continues at this hour over the President’s supplemental request for military funding. Most of the seventy five billion dollars Bush has asked for would go to pay for the invasion of Iraq, but the final package could include military assistance Columbia and the Philippines. Against the President’s will, Congress looks likely to pass a more expensive package with greater funding for domestic counter-terrorism efforts, and for veterans. Josh Chaffin reports from the Capitol.
Labor Against the War
Meanwhile outside the halls of Congress, hundreds of union members from the DC area held an un-permitted march to the White House on Tuesday. Every day since the start of the US led invasion of Iraq, now in its fifteenth day, anti-war actions have been held in the nation’s capital. This action, led by unions in the DC metropolitan area, focused on price being paid at home for war overseas. For the first time in US history labor has come out against a US war. In response workers across the country have organized anti-war committees in their unions. While national labor organizations have yet to call for any nation-wide actions, that has not stopped locals in New York, San Francisco, and Washington DC from taking to the streets to march in protest to the ongoing war in Iraq. Tom Gomez has more from Washington.
Egyptian Volunteers to Fight in Iraq
Officials reports in Baghdad said over 5,000 Arab volunteers from all Arab countries have arrived in Iraq to fight against the US and British troops. Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan urged more volunteers to come promising martyrdom. Raphael Krafft met with Egyptian volunteers at the Iraqi embassy this morning
Israel Steps up Assault on Palestinians
While all eyes continue to remain fixed on Iraq, today marks the one year anniversary of the Israeli siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and the Israeli military rounded up at least 1000 Palestinian men and boys between the ages of 18 and 40 in the West Bank city of Tulkarem. Armored personnel carriers supported by tanks and backed by Apache helicopters attacked Tulkarem and the adjacent refugee camp, and then imposed a 24 hour curfew on the area. This as a 14 year old Palestinian boy died today after being shot by the Israeli troops outside of his village near Ramallah. Awad Duaibes reports from Ramallah that Palestinians have been afraid since the beginning of the US led invasion into Iraq of a potential Israeli military escalation in the Occupied Territories.
