Iraqi Red Crescent: U.S. Threatens Work
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 15, 2006
GENEVA (AP) — Harassment from U.S. forces is a greater threat to the work of the Iraqi Red Crescent than insurgent attacks, a senior official of the Red Cross-linked humanitarian organization said Friday.
Dr. Jamal Al-Karbouli, vice president of the Iraqi Red Crescent, said some U.S. forces appeared not to realize that the society, which uses as its symbol the Muslim red crescent instead of the red cross, was part of the international humanitarian movement.
”The main problem we are facing is the American forces more than the other forces,” Al-Karbouli told reporters in Geneva. ”We are spending a lot of time to explain about the Red Crescent.”
Al-Karbouli said insurgent groups in Iraq did not pose as great a problem for the organization.
”The insurgents, they are Iraqis, a lot of them are Iraqis, and they respect the Iraqis. And they respect our (the Red Crescent’s) identity, which is neutrality.”
He also complained that Red Crescent offices in Baghdad, Anbar and Najaf provinces had been repeatedly ”attacked” by U.S.-led multi-national forces searching for insurgents.
”We have flags, we have everything, we have (the) logo, so they (U.S. forces) know everything, but unfortunately they come again and attack us many times,” Al-Karbouli said. He complained that U.S. forces broke doors and windows at the Red Crescent headquarters ”and they didn’t find anything, and they left.”
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Official says U.S. lying about reconstruction
By Fahem al-Isami
Azzaman, December 13, 2006
The United States does not tell the truth about the reconstruction projects it executes in the country, the governor of the southern province of Diwayniya said.
Khaleel Hamza said U.S. generals in charge of reconstruction exaggerate the sums of money they spend and the number of projects they carry out.
Hamza was reacting to a U.S. army statement regarding the projects it has implemented in the province.
“They (U.S. occupation troops) must verify their statements with documents and evidence otherwise we shall not allow them to make such irresponsible remarks,” Hamza told Azzaman.
He said U.S. troops do contribute to the implementation of certain project but they usually exaggerate their contribution and do not tell the truth.
“They (U.S. troops) prevent the implementation of strategic projects that are of benefit to the provincial population at large,” he said.
For example, he said, U.S. generals in charge of reconstruction would announce a certain project which they claim will cost millions of dollars but “on close examination we find that a particular project for which they say they have allocated one million dollars is worth less than $300,000.”
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