Birth defects in Fallujah

BBC

The Iraqi government line is that there are only one or two extra cases of birth defects per year in Fallujah, compared with the national average.

But in the impressive new Fallujah General Hospital, built with American aid, we found a paediatric specialist, Dr Samira al-Ani, who told us that she saw two or three new cases every day.  Most of them, she said, exhibited cardiac problems.

 The worst affected area of Fallujah?

At the clinic we were told that the worst problems were to be found in the neighbourhood of al-Julan, near the river.

This was the heart of the resistance to the Americans during the two major offensives of April and September 2004, and was hit constantly by bombs and shells.

A formal investigation cannot begin soon enough.