Palestinians accuse US over Iraq killings
Abu Ali, a 24-year-old Palestinian living in the Gaza Strip said he had been “very pained” upon hearing news of the death of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s sons.
His feeling of the slaughter of Uday and Qusay by 200 US occupation troops was shared by many Palestinians who denounced the United States “for taking justice into its own hands”.
“It’s a war crime! How could the Americans do that without proving their wrongdoings?” he asked.
“And they loved us Palestinians. There was not a single speech by Saddam where he did not allude to Palestine. I am sure he raised his sons accordingly,” Abu Ali added.
Saddam has been supporting the Palestinian intifada against Israeli occupation by providing millions of dollars to families of resistance fighters who lost their lives.
Arrested and tried
Other Palestinians accused the US of using the same kind of summary justice employed by the Israeli occupation army.
“They should have been tried by the Iraqis not by the Americans,” 18-year-old Lamia said.
“It’s up to the Iraqis to judge their own people not the Americans. What right did they have to kill in all impunity? They’re just like the Israeli occupiers here!” she added.
Her 20-year-old sister, Mona agreed that the Iraqis should be the ones to take revenge.
“We know from what was reported by the media that Saddam and his sons were criminals,” she said.
“An eye for eye, a tooth for a tooth. They killed so many of their people, they deserved to die. I just wish it was the Iraqis who took their revenge against their former leaders, not the Americans,” Mona added.
Saddam’s support
Hasan, a Palestinian engineer was worried about the repercussions if US troops managed to find Saddam and kill him.
“No other leader ever sided by us like Saddam did,” he said. “The Americans killed their sons. Soon it will be Saddam’s turn and no one will ever defend us anymore.”
Since Saddam’s ouster in early April, many Palestinian refugees in Iraq have been punished for their apparent preferential treatment under Saddam. They have been evicted by their landlords and been forced to shelter in tents.