With the mainstream media’s almost 24/7 coverage of the Tiger Woods scandal and return from his self-imposed ‘exile,’ I thought it prudent to inform you dear readers on a couple of stories that came out around the same time. So here are some headlines you may have missed when you were watching Tiger get out of his car.
Massacre in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Perhaps the most tragic killing to be reported this year, Human Rights Watch released a 67-page report documenting crimes committed by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in the Makombo area of north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in December 2009. According to their press release on March 28, the LRA killed 321 civilians, and abducted 250 people including 80 children in a four-day rampage. Their report entitled "Trail of Death: LRA Atrocities in Northeastern Congo," is based on their fact-finding mission to the Congo in February.
LRA forces attacked at least 10 villages, capturing, killing, and abducting hundreds of civilians, including women and children. The vast majority of those killed were adult men, whom LRA combatants first tied up and then hacked to death with machetes or crushed their skulls with axes and heavy wooden sticks. The dead include at least 13 women and 23 children, the youngest a 3-year-old girl who was burned to death. LRA combatants tied some of the victims to trees before crushing their skulls with axes.
Leaked Pentagon video shows American troops firing on Iraqi civilians
On April 6, Al Jazeera English reported this story on an attack by U.S. troops on Iraqi civilians in Baghdad from July 2007. The footage, obtained by the website Wikileaks, shows a crowded group of men in a public square being shot at from an Apache helicopter. They were suspected of being insurgents because two of the men carried what looked like weapons (they turned out to be cameras). Both men were journalists with the Reuters news agency.
12 civilians were killed in the attack, and two children were injured. One of the soldiers is clearly heard saying, “well, it's their fault for bringing their kids into a battle.”
Al Jazeera says the Pentagon cleared the air crew of any wrong doing in two investigations, saying they followed the rules of engagment.
15-year-old girl pimps out her 7-year-old step-sister at a house party
This story is beyond belief.
From the Associated Press: Police in Trenton, New Jersey are saying a 7-year-old girl was raped by as many as seven men or boys at a house party in a dilapidated housing complex on March 28. Her 15-year-old step-sister took money from the male party-goers in exchange for letting them touch the child, which soon escalated into gang-rape.
The girl eventually left and was found crying outside the apartment. She was taken home by two women, and told police what happened. Her sister was arrested, as well as five men and boys alleged to have raped her.
That is all. You may continue caring about stupid shit again.
