GUEST 27 Mar 06 - 12:58 AM

The location of the incident in the article you provided a link for, the 'village' of Isshaq, is East-South-East of Samarra. Operation Swarmer comprised of a 10 mile by 10 mile area to the North-East of Samarra. Population of the area 7km round Isshaq just under 16,000, population contained within the operating area of Operation Swarmer was reported as being 1500.

There are 25 accredited journalists embedded with the 101st Airborne, there is a site that gives you figures for the numbers embedded with other units. As far as I know Aid Workers and NGO's have never been embedded with troops on operations.

Keeping NGO's and Journalists out of an area populated with only 1500 people would not be much of a cover up tactic, unless of course they think they could keep them out forever. Widely reported that 104 were arrested, no shots fired, no casualties, no fatalities, so in a couple of weeks time somebody can bimble in there and do count. If the number is markedly less than 1396 then there might be something worth having a look at.