The troops fired warning shots towards AP reporters today in Iraq

[NNN0LHI]

Why would they do that?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=716&e=3&u=/ap/20030812/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_pipeline_fire

Flames Shooting From Iraqi Oil Pipeline

AL-TAJI, Iraq - Flames were shooting 200 feet in the air from a burst oil pipeline at a town north of Baghdad on Tuesday, and American forces at the scene fired warning shots to keep journalists from reaching them.

Two M-1 Abrams tanks and three soldiers crouched in firing positions ordered an Associated Press reporter and photographer to stay back from the blaze near al-Taji, a region of date groves, military compounds and chemical plants. Before the war U.N. weapons inspectors were in the al-Taji area almost daily.

An Iraqi fire truck was prevented from approaching the fire.

"They were very hostile," said Lt. Hasannein Mohammed of the fire department.

more

[havocmom]

1. "Why would they do that?"

Orders?

[sexybomber]

2. that's odd.

One would think they would let the Iraqi fire department through to try to put out the fire, since it was burning that precious oil...

[Pale Blue Dot]

3. Unless the reporters or the fire dept. would see

a large number of U.S. casualties. :-(

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. Pardon me, but

Halliburton has exclusive rights to all oil well firefighting in Iraq.

[SpiralHawk]

4. Move along now. Nothing to see here.

Move along or we'll blow your frikkin head off.

Note also the man who was shot in Arizona yesterday (Monday, Aug. 11) at Mount Lemmon, just before the Bush entourage arrived to tout the so-called "Healthy" Forests plan.

Going in search of a link to the DU thread on this.

Here it is:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=60980

An unidentified man was killed after confronting Pima County Sheriff's Department deputies at a roadblock set up for the presidential visit early this morning on Catalina Highway.

Normally, a shooting such as this would close a roadway down for some time, but because of the presidential visit, Secret Service officials were working with deputies to clear the roadway in time for Bush's Summerhaven visit, said Sheriff's spokesman Deputy Steve Easton. ---