Taking it to the mean streets-You break it, you pay for it-Taking Fallujah

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usnews/20041113/ts_usnews/takingittothemeanstreets&cid=926&ncid=1473

FALLUJAH, IRAQ--At first glance, the desolate, rubble-strewn streets seem serene, like an abandoned movie set of an action blockbuster. American soldiers manning a tank on an empty street sit still in the afternoon sun, watching plumes of smoke vanish on a breeze as a rare moment of calm falls over a section of the city ostensibly under U.S. Army control. Suddenly, a sign of life: on a rooftop, the darkened outline of an enemy fighter, the flash of an AK-47.

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You break it, you pay for it

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usnews/20041113/ts_usnews/youbreakityoupayforit&cid=926&ncid=1473

Camp Fallujah, Iraq (news - web sites)--As block-by-block fighting raged last week in Fallujah, a group of eager Army reservists awaited the OK for their specialized mission: to go into the city's battle-scarred neighborhoods and pay reparations to Iraqi civilians for some of the destruction from bombardment by U.S. fighter planes, artillery, and tank fire.

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Taking Fallujah

FALLUJAH, IRAQ--The sky lit up in orange flames, twinkling with ribbons of red tracer fire last week as the U.S. military, trailed by a modest contingent of Iraqi forces, pushed to reclaim this insurgent stronghold. Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles ground into the pavement shattered by artillery fire, leaving behind them clouds of translucent orange dust. Across the city, the thump and thud of artillery and tank fire reverberated in an eerie soundtrack that played throughout the week. "That will be the last sound they ever hear," Lt. Col. Peter Newell told the 1st Infantry Division's Task Force 2-2, as it swept into Fallujah.

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SAM
My name is Lowry - Sam Lowry. I'm
from the Ministry of Information.
(no response)
I've come to give you a cheque.

SAM takes the cheque out of his pocket and puts it on the
table to tempt MRS BUTTLE into a flicker of interest but
she fails to notice it - or him for that matter. SAM
pushes the cheque a little way towards MRS BUTTLE but she
does not respond.

SAM
(indicting cheque)
It's a refund ... I'm afraid there
was a mistake.

MRS BUTTLE
Mistake?

SAM
(encouraged)
Yes. Not my department ... I'm only
records. It seems that Mr Buttle was
overcharged by Information Retrieval.
I don't think they usually make
mistakes ... but, er ... I suppose
we're all human.

SAM looks around and sees the hole in the ceiling.

Oh ... what happened to the ...?

He gets nothing back.

Actually, my bringing this here is
rather unorthodox ... Usually any
payments are made through the central
computer ... but, er ... there were
certain difficulties, and rather than
cause delay, we thought you might
appreciate this now ... it being
Christmas.

MRS BUTTLE
My husband's dead, isn't he?

SAM
Er ... I assure you Mrs Buttle, the
Ministry is always very scrupulous
about following up and eradicating
error. If you have any complaints
which you'd like to make, I'd be more
than happy to send you the
appropriate forms.

MRS BUTTLE
What have you done with his body?

SAM
Um ...

MRS BUTTLE starts to cry.

SAM
Look, I'm very sorry, but I'm afraid
I don't know anything about it ...
I'm really just delivering the
cheque. Er ... If you wouldn't mind
signing these receipts
(producing blue and pink
receipts)
I'll go and leave you in peace.

SAM picks up the cheque and gives it to MRS BUTTLE
together with the receipts. MRS BUTTLE tears them up and
throws them in his face.

SAM
Uh ...

MRS BUTTLE
He hadn't done anything ... He was
good ... What have you done with his
body?

-- Brazil, Terry Gilliam