U.S. Troops Fire on Iraqi Protesters, Leaving 15 Dead

Violent clashes between American troops and Iraqis continue even as the United States moves from a military offensive to a humanitarian and reconstruction phase in Iraq. According to a US official account, a group of mostly armed Iraqis began unprovoked fire at the US troops who were stationed at the US Army headquarters in a largely Sunni neighborhood. US troops returned fire in self defense that left 15 dead and several injured. Locals claim that the US troops who took over a local school "were using binoculars to spy on their women and [showing] pornography to children." Unarmed Iraqis were protesting American presence in Iraq when the US troops began unprovoked firing. Such divergent interpretations of the same event suggest that "culture clashes" will not only be a part of the US experience in post-war Iraq but also create serious obstacles in building mutual trust between Americans and Iraqis. – YaleGlobal