**SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATES**
While slogging through numerous sites about the Haditha "Massacre" I happened upon the very first report of the incident courtesy of Al-Jazeerah via the MidEast Wire. The story is dated November 20, 2005. Amazingly contradictory to all the stories flying around about the incident it also contained another twist in the sorry tale. The reporter for Al Jazeerah was Walid Khalid. Here's some of what Khalid reported the day after the incident...
"US aircraft bombarded four houses near the scene of the incident, causing the immediate death of five Iraqis. Afterward, the US troops stormed three adjacent houses where three families were living near the scene of the explosion. Medical sources and eyewitnesses close to these families affirmed that the US troops, along with the Iraqi Army, executed 21 persons."
"Furthermore, the US troops threw their dead bodies onto the street and in the courtyards of the houses. They also set the three houses on fire, destroying them completely. Then, the US troops opened fire on a vehicle in which five schoolchildren were travelling on their return trip from school. After the vehicle stopped, the US troops opened fire on the schoolchildren, causing the death toll to rise to 31 Iraqi civilians."
This whole story by Walid Khalid is pure fantasy. First of all we know that there were no houses bombed by aircraft at this site. We know that the houses were not set on fire and destroyed completely - how would the fake "budding Iraqi journalist" be able to film the interior of the houses. The "school children" were young adult Iraqi males that ran from the scene - not some little elementary school kids skipping home from their school. The death toll is also wrong. Khalid also described the IED as an "explosive charge" - much less significant than the IED that was responsible for the devastating lethal injuries to Lance Corporal Miguel Terrazas. But this is the story presented by Al-Jazeerah the day after the incident.
Add to the mix the conflicting stories from Thaer al-Hadithi - the "young Iraqi journalist" and AP's "Iraqi human rights investigator". Al-Hadithi claimed that his "own house was barely 100 yards from the IED explosion." He recounted that the blast shattered his windows. Al-Hadithi claimed he "ran outside in time to see Marines from three other humvees springing from their vehicles and heading for four homes on either side of the road."
But in his interview with the AP, he claimed "he was visiting his family in Haditha". Al-Hadithi described an "eerie silence after the explosion". He told the AP that he watched from the window of his home and had a clear view of two of the houses.
Al-Hadithi described Abdul-Hamid Hassan Ali as a "blind and elderly man in failing health" in the AP article. But another Haditha "witness" said Ali "used a wheelchair since diabetes forced his leg amputation years ago. Ali was always one of the first on his block to go out every morning, scattering scraps for his chickens and hosing the dust of the arid western town from his driveway." Pretty good moves for a blind man in failing health.
Riehl World has many significant contradictory reports in the media - the biggest being Aws Fahmi who "watched and listened" to the incident but according to Al-Hadithi was severely wounded and lay bleeding in the street for two hours. (Can someone tell me how the media continues to get away with not fact checking their own damn stories?)
The Medical Director at Haditha General Hospital has been identified with various names. All are similar but make searching the Internet for his statements extremely difficult. Here are the various nom de plume's of the infamous Medical Director...
Walid Abdul-Hameed al-Obeidi - the hospital director
Dr. Waleed Abdul Khaliq al Obaidi, Manager of Haditha General Hospital
Dr. Walid Abdul Khaliq - the Haditha General Hospital Director
Dr. Walid Al-Obeidi - the director of Haditha General Hospital
Walid Abdul Khalak Ubaidi - Hospital Director
Walid Abdel Khaliq - the doctor of the Haditha morgue
Dr. Walid - Haditha General Hospital director
Dr. Wahid - director of the local hospital in Haditha
Dr. Walid (or whatever his name is) was featured in the testimony of the Brussel's Tribunal which was part of the World Tribunal on Iraq sham conducted by Ramsey Clark and his Clarkettes at Code Pink, et. al. A man with a very similar name, Abdul Wahab Al Obeidi, was a member of the Brussels Tribunal and represents the "Freedom Voice Society for Human Rights".
There is also mention of Dr. Walid Khalid in an article about the poor state of Iraqi hospitals. BTW a Walid Khalid is listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 WTC bombing. Interesting that the reporter shares the same names...
Another interesting little tidbit from one of the good doctor's interviews from CNN...
"The hospital director says his night shift examined the bodies before they were released to the families."
Does this mean that the doctor did not examine the bodies personally? Don't know but hopefully the military investigators are doing a better job than the enemedia...
UPDATE 1: 06/11/06 - 2000
Found another "little" discrepancy that points out how the "eyewitnesses" and "concerned citizens of Haditha" are changing their story more than a new mom changes a baby's diaper...
The AP claims that the lawyer in Haditha (that is suddenly related to the victims) Khaled Salem Rsayef watched the events upfold from a window in his home. BUT Rsayef claims in other interviews that he watched the attacks from his roof.
"Rsayef said he witnessed U.S. troops responding to the bomb attack from his house. Rsayef said his account of what happened was based on his personal observations from the rooftop of his home and windows."
Now I may be just a little ole blogger but I certainly know the difference between a window and the roof. Shame that the AP doesn't bother to check this stuff out.
But digging a little deeper into the cesspool, I found this little gem...(yes I know this came from the "We leave the TRUTHOUT" website but it still reflects the inconsistencies in the stories)
"Khaled Ahmed Rsayef, whose brother and six other relatives were killed by the troops, vividly described the blind frustration of the American soldiers and their impulsive revenge at losing one of their own. “American troops immediately cordoned off the area and raided two nearby houses, shooting at everyone inside. It was a massacre in every sense of the word,” said Rasayef. While he was not present at the scene, his 15-year-old niece was and her story was corroborated by other residents of the area who witnessed the carnage."
Also blogging...
Sweetness & Light - Washington Post Presents Marine's Side of Story
Bear Creek Ledger -Haditha Marines Respond- Tell A Very Different Story Than Murtha
BlueStar Chronicles - Marines Followed Rules in Haditha
Blue Crab Boulevard - Marines Description of Haditha Events Denies Wrongdoing
Gateway Pundit - Bad News For John Cold Blooded Murtha
Stop the ACLU - Marine Says Rules Followed at Haditha
Right Wing Thinking - Marine Sargent Speaks Out
Caos Blog - Haditha; not exactly as the msm is reporting it
Dinocrat - Can the MSM Be Put on Trial for Getting Our Men Killed
BlackFive - Haditha - This is Gonna Get Ugly
Dr. Sanity - Not Anchored To Reality
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