The trouble is, not all reports about atrocities are to be trusted. Back in the Kuwait war there were reports about how Iraqis were pulling premature babies out of incubators in hospitals. These later proved to be dreamed up by some USA propaganda unit.

Maybe these latest ones are true, and that's a possibility which cannot be dismissed, but then again maybe they aren't. Until some fully independent investigation is made it's completely impossible to make any judgement.

One thing for sure - there will be no shortage of mutilated corpses on the streets of Fallujah after the assault of the last few days. That's what happens when you bomb and shell a city.