Woman asking "Why?"

Photo by Ivor Prickett for the New York Times

This photo shows an Iraqi woman in Mosul, open mouthed with stretched out arms, clearly asking "Why?"

Her son died as the result of an American bombing of homes in West Mosul.

Thank you to Ivor Prickett for traveling to Mosul to document the bombing and fighting there, and thank you to the New York Times for placing the photo front and center, occupying almost half of the top half of today's front page. 

"U.S. Concedes It Played a Role in Iraqi [civilian] Deaths" reports an accompanying article by Michael R. Gordon.  

"The United Nations has said that at least 61 people were killed in the March 17 strike in Mosul. Amnesty International said as many as 150 might have died," reports Gordon.

Today's photo evokes that classic photo at the Kent State demonstrations against the Vietnam War--Mary Ann Vecchio kneeling with outstretched arms and open mouth.

Pulitzer-Prize winning photo by John Filo in 1970

The UN and others are raising questions about the methods and types of bombing done in US and coalition strikes:  ..."Iraqi and coalition operations “failed to take adequate precautions to prevent civilian deaths, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/28/world/middleeast/un-iraq-airstrikes.html?mabReward=CTM2&recp=1&moduleDetail=recommendations-1&action=click&contentCollection=Africa&region=Footer&module=WhatsNext&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&src=recg&pgtype=article
Once again: 

• a war primarily organized by men in the US government and carried out by men.
• death of peaceful civilians just trying to live their lives
• a woman calling attention to the human loss and asking why

Once again:  War does not determine who is right — only who is left.