fascinating foretaste of the future (from CNN) -- excitable armed locals, who will disarm them?

[Michael Eisenstadt]

FALLUJAH, Iraq (CNN) -- Conflicting accounts emerged Tuesday about a 
clash between the U.S. military and civilians in Iraq that witnesses and 
Red Cross officials said killed at least 15 Iraqis and wounded up to 53 
others.

The shooting in Fallujah -- a farming community about 40 miles west of 
Baghdad -- broke out around 10 p.m. Monday (2 p.m. EDT) as demonstrators 
approached members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division -- based at 
an elementary school -- and demanded that they leave, according to a 
telecommunications engineer. (Full story)

U.S. Central Command said that the protesters fired on the soldiers with 
AK-47s and that the soldiers fired back in self-defense.

Some demonstrators told CNN the soldiers fired first; others said 
residents threw rocks at the troops when tempers flared. (On the Scene: 
Karl Penhaul)

One U.S. Army sergeant said he shot at what he saw, "and what I saw was 
targets. Targets with weapons, and they were going to harm me."

"It's either them or me, and I took the shot, sir, and I'm still here 
talking to you," he said.

A second U.S. soldier said the clash began when some of the protesters 
started throwing rocks at the soldiers and others started chanting.

"Then others joined in throwing rocks, and others brought weapons to the 
party," the soldier said. "Then they started firing them -- not just 
into the air but toward the soldiers on top of the buildings."

The engineer said he's not sure who started shooting first. The 
confrontation reportedly went on for hours.

The situation at Fallujah is under investigation, Pentagon officials said.