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Ο αυτοκινητόδρομος του θανάτου

Πριν από είκοσι επτά χρόνια, έλαβε χώρα στο Ιράκ μία από τις πιο άγριες κτηνωδίες στην ιστορία του πολέμου, κατά μήκος της εθνικής Οδού 80 που ενώνει το Ιράκ με το Κουβέιτ, περίπου 32 χιλιόμετρα δυτικά της Πόλης του Κουβέιτ.

Τη νύχτα της 26ης προς την 27η Φεβρουαρίου του 1991, χιλιάδες Ιρακινοί στρατιώτες και πολίτες κατευθύνονταν προς την Βαγδάτη, αφότου είχε ανακοινωθεί η κατάπαυση πυρός, όταν ο πρόεδρος Τζωρτζ Μπους ο πρεσβύτερος διέταξε τις αμερικανικές δυνάμεις να διαλύσουν τα Ιρακινά στρατεύματα που βρίσκονταν σε φάση οπισθοχώρησης. Μαχητικά αεροπλάνα των συμμαχικών δυνάμεων πέταξαν πάνω από το κομβόι και ακινητοποίησαν τα προπορευόμενα οχήματα καθώς και τα τελευταία, με αποτέλεσμα να είναι αδύνατον να διαφύγουν.

Αμερικανικά αεροσκάφη χτυπούσαν τα παγιδευμένα οχήματα επί ώρες. Αφού τελείωσε η σφαγή, 1400 ως 2000 κατεστραμμένα οχήματα, καθώς και τα καμένα και διαμελισμένα σώματα των δεκάδων χιλιάδων στρατιωτών κείτονταν σε μήκος χιλιομέτρων σε ένα δρόμο που αργότερα ονομάστηκε «ο αυτοκινητόδρομος του θανάτου». Εκατοντάδες ακόμη βρέθηκαν σε έναν άλλο δρόμο, την εθνική οδό 8, που οδηγεί στην πόλη Βασόρα του Ιράκ.

Το σκηνικό καταστροφής σε αυτούς τους δύο δρόμους αποτελεί μια από τις πιο χαρακτηριστικές εικόνες του Πόλεμου του Κόλπου.

Μια μέρα πριν, η Βαγδάτη με ραδιοφωνικό μήνυμα δήλωσε ότι το Ιρακινό Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών έχει αποδεχτεί την πρόταση ανακωχής από την Σοβιετική Ένωση και έχει διατάξει όλα τα ιρακινά στρατεύματα να αποσυρθούν από το Κουβέιτ, σε συμφωνία με την Απόφαση 660 του ΟΗΕ. Ο πρόεδρος Μπους ωστόσο απάντησε ότι «δεν υπήρχε κανένα στοιχείο που να αποδεικνύει ότι τα Ιρακινά στρατεύματα αποχωρούν. Στην πραγματικότητα οι Ιρακινές μονάδες συνεχίζουν την μάχη…Και εμείς συνεχίζουμε τον πόλεμο».

Την επόμενη μέρα, ο ίδιος ο πρόεδρος του Ιράκ ανακοίνωσε από το ραδιόφωνο ότι έχει ξεκινήσει η απόσυρση από δύο εθνικές οδούς και θα ολοκληρωθεί την ίδια μέρα.

Αντί λοιπόν να δεχτεί την πρόταση του Ιράκ, ο Μπους αποφάσισε να σκοτώσει όσους περισσότερους Ιρακινούς μπορούσε.

Ο βομβαρδισμός άρχισε κοντά στα μεσάνυχτα. Στην αρχή αεροσκάφη από τις ΗΠΑ και του Καναδά βομβάρδισαν τα πρώτα και τα τελευταία οχήματα του κομβόι για να εμποδίσουν την φυγή προς τα μπρος ή προς τα πίσω, και έπειτα επιτέθηκαν στα παγιδευμένα οχήματα με συνεχόμενους βομβαρδισμούς. Ο Αρχηγός του Γενικού Επιτελείου των ΗΠΑ έλαβε οδηγία από την κυβέρνηση Μπους να «μην αφήσει κανέναν και τίποτα ζωντανό έξω από την Πόλη του Κουβέιτ».

Έτσι, κάθε όχημα που κατάφερε να αλλάξει πορεία και να ξεφύγει από τις εθνικές οδούς, καταγράφηκε, κυνηγήθηκε και καταστράφηκε ξεχωριστά. Ακόμα και οι αφοπλισμένοι Ιρακινοί στρατιώτες που είχαν παραδοθεί γαζώθηκαν με πυροβόλα όπλα. Κανένας Ιρακινός δεν επιβίωσε.


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