Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06SAOPAULO626
2006-06-05 12:46:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Sao Paulo
Cable title:
MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ: HADITHA KILLINGS; SAO PAULO
how-toVZCZCXYZ0001 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHSO #0626 1561246 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 051246Z JUN 06 FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5204 INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 6308 RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 7156 RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 2454
UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000626
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD
DEPT PASS USTR
USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP ETRD BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ: HADITHA KILLINGS; SAO PAULO
"Massacre in Iraq"
Liberal, largest national circulation daily Folha de S. Paulo
editorialized (6/5): "News that 24 civilian Iraqis were victims of
summary execution in Haditha in November has shocked the public
opinion the same way the disclosure of scenes of mistreatment in Abu
Ghraib did. On the same day of the massacre, it was reported that
the accidental explosion of a bomb, left by insurgents, had caused
most of the deaths. A military investigation, however, uncovered a
different story. There was a bomb, and it killed an American
soldier. Neighboring houses were then invaded by other soldiers....
It became clear that unarmed people were hit by shots on the head
and in the chest. The military responsible for removing the bodies
attempted to hide all traces of this event. There were women and
children among the victims."
McMullen