DAMMAM, 2 April 2003 — People in the Eastern Province were angered, shocked and grieved at the news of the killing of seven innocent women and children in the Iraqi city of Najaf by American troops.
“It is a terrible act and reflects the real intention of the invasion,” was the general feeling.
What angered people most was the comment from US Central Command which justified the attack.
“Even a barbaric force would not try to justify such an act,” said Abdul Rahman Al-Mulhim, a gold merchant in Alkhobar.
“They are lying when they say that the American troops first fired a warning shot. The Washington Post report proves that it was cold-blooded murder.”
Saleh Al-Humaidan, managing director of Al-Youm Group of Publications, said that such acts would distance Arabs even more from the American people.
“In no way can such killings ever be justified and America will be painted as a villain, not only in the Arab world but worldwide.”
Saeed Al-Hilal, a local journalist, said: “The Washington Post report proves beyond any doubt that the US Marines saw that all 13 occupants of the vehicle were unarmed women and children and they still opened fire. Those Marines are war criminals and should be tried and punished.”
Another Arab journalist said: “It is the typical American cowboy mentality.”
He added that the killing of innocent Iraqi women and children showed the ruthlessness and barbarism of Americans who consider themselves the torch-bearers of human rights.
Abdullah Rizvi, a local business executive, questioned the logic of the invasion.
“America says it wants to liberate Iraq from the ruthless regime of Saddam Hussein. The question is: What will the liberation of Iraq be for if it wipes out half of the Iraqi population?”
Many expatriates as well as Saudis called upon world leaders to put more pressure on America and Britain to stop the ruthless killings of innocent Iraqis and withdraw their forces from the country.
