The 5 U.S. soldiers were not killed in Fallujah; they died 12 miles away in Habbaniyah (WP link in next tweet).
The Pentagon likes to connect their deaths to Fallujah, to help justify invading the city after 4 Blackwater mercenaries were killed there.
The AP fell for it.
The Pentagon likes to connect their deaths to Fallujah, to help justify invading the city after 4 Blackwater mercenaries were killed there.
The AP fell for it.
This Washington Post story clearly explains the five U.S. soldiers were killed in Habbaniyah, not Fallujah.
washingtonpost.com
washingtonpost.com
The AP's story omits any mention of civilians killed in Fallujah by the U.S. military -- more than 1,000 in 2004, about ten times more than U.S. casualties. It's a glaring omission, especially as the story notes, several times, the U.S. deaths and even Iraqi military deaths.
It's clear why the Pentagon, when announcing the USS Fallujah, didn't mention the large number of civilians killed by U.S. forces. But the AP, a global news organization, should understand the pivotal importance of reporting on the full consequences of U.S. military action.
It's not hard to find reliable statistics on civilian casualties in Fallujah. Here are two sources I used for my recent story on the USS Fallujah:
Iraq Body Count: iraqbodycount.org
IRIN News: thenewhumanitarian.org
Iraq Body Count: iraqbodycount.org
IRIN News: thenewhumanitarian.org
My story on the USS Fallujah last week was a bit different from the AP's. theintercept.com
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