10-10-2004, 01:19 AM
Clerics slam 'scorched earth' policy of US
AFP via Independent Online
October 08 2004
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&cl...97244182542I622
Baghdad - Sunni Muslim clerics in their Friday sermons
condemned the United States military's latest air
strike against the rebel city of Fallujah as part of
its "scorched earth" policy in Iraq.
"Fallujah is being hit every day under the guise of
striking Zarqawi, and residents take out a
two-year-old child from under the rubble, is this
Zarqawi?" said Sheikh Abdul Ghafur al-Samarrai in a
fiery sermon at Baghdad's Umm al-Qura mosque.
"The Americans are using (Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel) Sharon's scorched earth and collective
punishment policy."
Twelve people were killed 16 wounded, including a
bride at a wedding party, when US warplanes hit early
Friday what the military said was a suspected meeting
place in Fallujah of operatives of Abu Mussab
al-Zarqawi, the most wanted man in Iraq.
Jordanian-born Zarqawi is accused of links to the
al-Qaeda terror network.
The Iraqi government has been in talks with a
delegation of Fallujah community and religious leaders
in an effort for them to exert their influence over
some elements in the insurgency in the city to
convince them to lay down their weapons.
"Some members of the delegation say the talks are
going well and then we have an operation that kills
and wounds people," said Sheikh Ahmed Hassan
al-Samarrai during a sermon at Baghdad's Abu Hanifa
mosque.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&cl...97244182542I622