Iraqi Girl Tells of U.S. Attack in Haditha

Posted by David DeGraw at 7:22 AM on June 1, 2006.

ITV News was the first to interview Iman Walid, the ten-year-old girl who witnessed the killing of seven family members in the attack at Haditha. Here is her original firsthand account of the incident.

From ITV News:

"A young Iraqi girl has given a shocking first hand account of what witnesses claim amounts to mass murder by US troops in the war-torn country.

Ten-year-old Iman Walid lost seven members of her family in an attack by American marines last November.

If her story is true - and it has been disputed by the US military - human rights workers say it is the worst massacre of civilians by US troops in the country.

Iman tells of screaming soldiers entering her house in the Iraqi town of Haditha spraying bullets in every direction.

Fifteen people in all were killed, including her parents and grandparents. Her account has been corroborated by other eyewitnesses who say it was a revenge attack after a roadside bomb killed a marine....

Initially, the US marines issued a statement saying that a roadside bomb had killed 15 civilians, while eight insurgents had been killed in a later gunbattle.

US military officials have since confirmed the 15 civilians were actually shot dead."

David DeGraw is AlterNet's video blogger.