Uncensored News

In a serendipitous occurence, two independent journalists arrived in Iraq for pre-planned stays just as the country began to erupt. Both are sending despatches to their personal blogs, as well as to traditional news outlets.

Both have also spent time in Fallujah, and their reports differ strikingly from the insipid reassurances of the U.S. military. (Lieutenant Colonel Brennan Blynne, for example, bleats, of the 600 killed so far in Fallujah: "What I think you will find is 95% of those were military age males that were killed in the fighting. The marines are trained to be precise in their firepower ... The fact that there are 600 goes back to the fact that the marines are very good at what they do."

Rahul Mahajan, in his report from Fallujah notes that many women and children were killed, that the Fallujah mujahideen have the support of the population at large, that ambulances were intentionally shot at by snipers, that the city's electrical power was bombed out at the initiation of the "coalition" crackdown, that Fallujahns were and are decidedly anti-Saddam.

Meanwhile, Dahr Jamail, in his report, notes that

Local medical authorities say over 600 bodies have actually been counted at area emergency facilities, but it is widely believed that a significant number of victims have been buried without ever receiving care at a clinic or hospital. Locals say two entire football fields have been converted into cemeteries and mass funerals have been conducted during brief, local lulls in the fighting.

What are being called medical clinics here are essentially makeshift emergency facilities, one of which is a converted mechanics' garage.

Both bloggers are set up to receive donations. So, in addition to raising the cry here at home, let's make sure to support independent journalists.

Posted by Eddie Tews at April 12, 2004 09:11 PM