Apache plane downed by the Iraqis, four Iraqis killed in Falouja
Iraq-USA, Military, 1/14/2004

The Iraqi resistance yesterday succeeded in downing an American Apache plane near al-Habaneyah area, to the west of Baghdad, in the third incident of its kind in the region within less than two weeks.

Meantime, people's protests continued in the south against the increase in unemployment rate, and the non- commitment of the local authorities to providing job opportunities, The occupation forces admitted that the plane was hit by enemy fire. An American spokesman said that "preliminary information say that the plane was downed or at least hit by enemy fire." TV pictures showed that American helicopter in a field, and no casualties were reported among it's two crew members.

One farmer said that he saw a missile hit the plane. He added he saw "two or three soldiers getting out of it." In al-Kout, citizens protests continued over the increase of unemployment and more than 200 people besieged for the second running day the Ukrainian soldiers deployed in the city, as they were guarding the headquarters of Waset governorate (the previous name was al-Kout). Yesterday's confrontations between the demonstrators and the soldiers resulted in wounding seven, including five demonstrators and two passer by women.

In an attempt to lessen the anger of citizens, the British forces in al-Amara city circulated a statement in the Arabic language on the formation of an office in the city, with branches in several towns in the governorate, that will work for ensuring 2500 job opportunities, according to the statement. It added that the offices will open their doors on January 31st, but he called on those interested to apply as from January 26th.

In al-Falouja, witnesses said that the occupation forces killed four Iraqis at least in the downtown when they opened fire randomly as they were attacked in the second incident of its kind within days. The witnesses said that the soldiers who were in a patrol in the town following a demonstration were exposed to two missiles and immediately they opened their fire and this resulted in killing one older woman inside her house and three men in a car.

Hundreds of the people of al-Falouja demonstrated in protest of the American forces detention of a young woman on Monday when they broke into her house and did not find her wanted husband An American military official in Tikrit admitted yesterday that the occupation army killed four Iraqis, whom are members of one family in an incident which flared up the anger of the people. The commander of the American contingent deployed in Tikrit Steve Racil said " the coalition forces seemed to be involved in this incident because automatic weapons of high caliber used in the incident." The four Iraqis were killed when they were on the board of the car on the highway near Tikrit.

Two Iraqis were wounded yesterday one of them is in a critical health condition when an explosive went off as their truck was running on a road linking Karkouk to al-Musil used to be trodden by American vehicles coming from Turkey.

Moreover, the headquarters of the Iraqi al-Sabah paper, mouthpiece of the " Iraqi media network" which is supervised by the occupation forces was exposed to two attacks yesterday evening the before yesterday at dawn and this resulted in material damages but no casualties were reported. An official in the paper said that the attackers tried in the first attack to use RPG shelling " but the intensive fire by our guards prevented them from that," noting that " threats come to us frequently with some of them are personal." N.

Previous Stories:
  Occupation forces indiscriminately killed several Iraqis   (1/13/2004)
  Bremer: no place for militias in a united Iraq   (1/13/2004)
  Washington Post: US official reveals the US intended to invade Iraq prior to 9/11 events   (1/12/2004)
  The British, the police kill 6 Iraqis; an uprising for the unemployed   (1/12/2004)
  Carnegie Endowment for International Peace report: WMD in Iraq, evidence misrepresented, war not best option   (1/10/2004)
  Six killed in an explosion near a mosque in Baqouba   (1/10/2004)

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