da "il manifesto" 23 November 2004
AL JAZEERA

Napalm Raid on Falluja?
73 charred bodies -- women and children -- were found

GIULIANA SGRENA

«We buried them, but we could not identify them because they were charred from the napalm bombs used by the Americans». People from Saqlawiya village, near Falluja, told al Jazeera television, based in Qatar, that they helped bury 73 bodies of women and children completely charred, all in the same grave. The sad story of common graves, which started at Saddam’s times, is not yet finished. Nobody could confirm if napalm bombs have been used in Falluja, but other bodies found last year after the fierce battle at Baghdad airport were also completely charred and some thought of nuclear bombs. No independent source could verify the facts, since all the news arrived until now are those spread by journalists embedded with the American troops, who would only allow British and American media to enrol with them. But the villagers who fled in the last few days spoke of many bodies which had not been buried: it was too dangerous to collect the corpses during the battle.

Yesterday, for the first time since the beginning of the military campaign, the American Headquarters allowed a convoy of the Red Crescent (the Iraqi Red Cross) to enter the city with 7 ambulances and two trucks filled with food. In the past days the convoys of the humanitarian organizations were stopped on the other side of Eufrathes. Thus maybe we will now be able to obtain some more news on the conditions of the people who are left in the city -- the majority fled -- during 15 days of fierce and uninterrumpted attacks.

Yesterday Bill Taylor, responsible for the reconstruction of the Department of state, said that the United States government will spend more than 100 million dollars for the reconstruction of Falluja. The money will be invested in public buildings, private houses, shops, infrastructure. A destruction which could be avoided, if a different solution had been chosen for Falluja, as it was wished by many Iraqis. And what about all the civilians killed, of which the number is not known and probably never will? Will 100 million dollars be enough to gain back the trust of those who live in Falluja? Not likely, in fact, the opposite is more likely. It is in fact easy to foresee, even for the observers, that this “pacification” will not smooth the way for the elections. The anger of those who inhabit the Sunni triangle will more likely be exploited by those who are willing to do anything in order to avoid the vote.

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