The death toll rises

This morning was a very quiet morning in central Baghdad. Everyone is mourning the death of well over 900 people in a stampede over a bridge. In Louisiana, there was a similar loss of life, and a HUGE destruction of property by hurrican Katrina. But CNN "International" had 6 articles about hurricane Katrina and it's swath of destruction, and only mentioned the tragedy here at the bottom of it's headlines. Perhaps they should call themselves "CNN Pseudo-International (with an American worldview and focus)".

The article about Baghdad did briefly mention several important pieces of information, that I felt should have been clarified. First, the bridge is usually closed because it presents and constant security risk to our camp. It had been used numerous times by snipers and insurgents with rockets and RPG's. Due to the security risks in reopening the bridge, there were barricades to prevent car bombers from driving over the bridge, and checkpoints at both ends of the bridge. The article did not go so far as to suggest that there should not have been checkpoints and concrete barricades, but cast subtle doubt on their necessity. They are in fact vital to the security of Camp Justice, and this entire Shiite neighborhood.

The other side of the river is the part of town we call Sadr City and is very hostile to both US forces and Shiite muslims. It was unwise to open the bridge, since it drew thousands of Shiite muslims into a Sunni neighborhood, causing tension and fear in both groups of people.

Scouts out,
Trey