Human
Costs of War
FALLUJAH, IRAQ | SYRACUSE, USA |
Since March of 2003 more than 5000 civilians killed by US soldiers have been buried in Fallujah cemeteries. | Oakwood Cemetery averages 500 burials per year. It would take 10 years to bury 5000 people there. |
Local Iraqi police
estimate that at least five attacks are being carried out against US troops
each day. US soliders have been reacting wildly to attacks on them. This has
meant punishment for the people.
A 10 year-old boy points a plastic
gun at passing US armored patrols and shouts "bang, bang". The soldiers
follow him home, beat him and his uncle and smash their belongings.
Several areas in Fallujah went
without electricity for two weeks after US soldiers attacked a power station
as retribution for a sniper attack.
Overstretched US soldiers
appear to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and taking
Ambien to sleep, along with Seroquel and Qanapin among other psychotropic drugs.
New Pentagon guidelines allow the
re-deployment of soldiers suffering from PSTD.
UPI reports
1 of every 10
American soldiers
evacuated to the army's biggest hospital in Europe were
there for mental problems. Nearly 1000 of them were from Iraq and had "psychiatric
or behavioral health issues" according to Col. Rhonda Cornum.
- dahrjamailiraq.com and icasualties.org