[Parmenides]

It's conveniant that everytime US soldiers murder unarmed civilians they claim that they were fired upon. Since Bush is declaring the war over, throwing rocks must constitute a capital offense.

U.S. Soldiers Fire at Iraqi Protesters
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


Filed at 5:49 a.m. ET

FALLUJAH, Iraq (AP) -- U.S. soldiers opened fire on Iraqi protesters in a town west of Baghdad after being shot at and least seven demonstrators were hit, a U.S. officer said Tuesday. Residents said at least 15 people were killed.

The shooting took place Monday night in the town of Fallujah, 30 miles west of Baghdad. Col. Arnold Bray of the 82nd Airborne Division gave the U.S. account of the clash, but could not confirm the Iraqi deaths.

Local Iraqis said the demonstration was conducted by students between the ages of 5 and 20, but Bray said some of them were armed.

``Ask them which kind of schoolboys carry AK-47s,'' Bray said.

The U.S. troops were headquartered in a schoolhouse, and some in the crowd fired on the schoolhouse, Bray said. The Al-Jazeera television station, quoting local residents, said the U.S. troops opened fire after someone threw a rock at the school.

The demonstrators reportedly were protesting U.S. troops' presence in Fallujah.