American commanders regarded the reports as inflated, but it was impossible to determine independently how many civilians had been killed. The hospital was selected as an early target because the American military believed that it was the source of rumors about heavy casualties.http://www.empirenotes.org/november04.html#08nov041
"It's a center of propaganda," a senior American officer said Sunday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/08/international/middleeast/08falluja.html