US transfer of forces from Saudi Arabia to Qatar; 90 Iraqis, killed, wounded in al-Falouja massacre
Saudi Arabia-USA, Politics, 4/30/2003

It was just a demonstration for some 200 Iraqis calling for the withdrawal of the American forces from an elementary school they had occupied near al-Falouja town to the west of Baghdad. Some 100 of them returned back safe while the others fell among the killed or wounded by the bullets of the American soldiers.

It was not the first massacre in the post Saddam Iraq. Earlier the occupation forces opened fire indiscriminately at Iraqi civilians in more than one city, mainly in al-Musil that resulted in scores of killed or wounded Iraqis few weeks ago.

News reports said that between 13 to 17 Iraqis were killed and 75 wounded in al-Falouja where angry demonstrations had started calling for the pullout of the occupation forces and vowed to revenge the Americans acts.

On the other hand, the "higher council of the Islamic revolution in Iraq" said that Washington has to support leaders of the Iraqi groups which it had helped to bring together since several months to form an interim Iraqi government instead of starting this operation from the Zero point.

The Dawa ( call) announced support for an "interim government which has a cover from the UN, rather than only the UN."

The spokesman for the Iraqi National Congress Zaab Seithna said that leaders of the main Iraqi political parties will hold their first meeting in Iraq tomorrow to discuss the issue of an interim authority in Iraq just one day after the date set for that. Seithna did not disclose the reason behind the delay of the meeting. He said before that confirming the date depends on getting American security guarantees.

The meeting will discuss the call to convene a national conference with the fall of May next year to appoint an interim Iraqi authority.

Meantime, the US has officially announced the pullout of its forces from Saudi Arabia after 12 years of a military presence.

The US defense secretary Ronald Rumsfeld announced from Saudi Arabia from which he moved to Kuwaiti, announced that the withdrawal will actually include all American forces and will be settled in the agreement with the Saudi side within a period of time not to exceed the end of this summer.

American officials said that only some a small number of American troops will stay in Saudi Arabia, taking part in training of the Saudi army and that 100 American planes will be transferred from Saudi Arabia to Qatar.

Previous Stories:
  Rumsfeld, Powell, and Spencer to visit Saudi Arabia   (4/29/2003)
  Prince Sultan confers with Tommy Francs   (3/20/2003)
  Riyadh: American forces in Saudi bases for defense   (3/10/2003)

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