by TChris

According to a statement issued by U.S. Marines, rockets were fired at, and a 500 pound bomb was dropped upon, the mosque compound in Fallujah that was the subject of a posting earlier today. But a statement released by the Marines says that "one insurgent was killed and that there were no reports of civilian casualties."

Contrast this report:

U.S. marines in a fierce battle for this Sunni Muslim stronghold bombed a mosque compound filled with worshippers Wednesday and witnesses said as many as 40 people were killed.

An Associated Press reporter saw cars ferrying the dead and wounded from the mosque.

So which is it? One dead insurgent and no civilian casualties after Marines bombed a mosque compound out of "military necessity"? Or 40 dead after Marines bombed a mosque compound filled with worshippers?

The truth may get sorted out eventually, but the incident remains bad press for an occupying country trying to gain the support of Iraqi citizens. Even more troubling, from the standpoint of winning the hearts and minds of Iraqis, is this statement in the AP report about a different incident:

Sixteen children and eight women were reported killed when warplanes struck four houses late Tuesday, said Hatem Samir, a Fallujah Hospital official.

Addendum: William Beeman explains why the Bush administration's approach to the governance of Iraq hasn't worked, isn't working, and won't work after the transition to sovereignty. His thesis -- that the administration failed to win the confidence of the Iraqi people in the early days of the occupation, when it might have been possible to gain trust by providing adequately for basic needs -- is sound. It should be obvious even to the Bush administration that policing a country by killing the innocent will not inspire trust or good will.