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Seven soldiers wounded granade attack { May 1 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2665425http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2665425
Seven U.S. Soldiers Wounded in Iraq Grenade Attack
Thu May 1, 2003 05:30 AM ET
By Saul Hudson
FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - Seven U.S. soldiers were wounded in a grenade attack at their base in the Iraqi city of Falluja, where American troops killed at least 15 people during protests this week, the U.S. military said on Thursday.
"The attack was an expression of the anger of a few people in the city after what happened," Captain Alan Vaught said in reference to the U.S. shootings at earlier anti-American demonstrations.
The U.S. soldiers injured in the grenade attack late on Wednesday were evacuated from the city 30 miles west of Baghdad. Vaught said their injuries were not life threatening.
After the attack, U.S. troops exchanged gunfire with Iraqis but there were no additional injuries.
Falluja Mayor Taha Badawi Hamid al-Alwani, who said he was selected by local tribesmen to lead the city after the fall of Saddam Hussein on April 9, condemned the grenade attack.
"Anybody, whoever he is, American or Iraqi, who resorts to violence is an evil person," said Alwani, who has been urging community and religious leaders to help defuse tensions.
Deputy Mayor Ziad Mekhlif said, however: "If the Americans make a mistake and overreact again I don't know how we will contain the hatred."
Tension has been running high in the conservative Sunni Muslim city of about 270,000 over the presence of U.S. troops stationed in a former Baath party compound protected with barbed wire and guarded from sand-bagged gun positions on the roof.
ANTI-AMERICAN BANNERS
While residents generally say they are grateful the Americans ousted Saddam, they have made clear they want U.S. troops to leave them to govern their city as soon as possible.
On the perimeter walls of the mayor's compound, residents hung anti-American banners. "Sooner or later U.S. killers we'll kick you out," read one sign, written in English.
Other banners repeated the message throughout the city.
"Go out of our city. If you refuse our women and children will kill you," another banner said, also in English.
On Monday, U.S. soldiers fired on an angry crowd demanding U.S. troops leave a school they had occupied. Thirteen Iraqis were killed. Two days later, two Iraqis were killed when U.S. soldiers opened fire in a similar incident.
The U.S. military said its troops were shot at first in both incidents but Iraqi witnesses said the shootings were unprovoked.
"I can't do anything now because they have tanks. But I will wait and I will kill Americans. I will take my revenge," said 14-year-old Ahmed Muthana, whose father was wounded and uncle killed when soldiers shot at demonstrations on Monday.
City officials said they had been meeting with U.S. troops to reduce tension and were negotiating for them to move their base to the outskirts of the city.
The American troops have left the school that sparked Monday's demonstration.
Deputy Mayor Mekhlif said the U.S. military presence was less visible on Thursday than in previous days with no road check points and fewer surveillance helicopters overhead.
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