Iraqis Drag Four Corpses Through Streets

AP ^ | March 31, 2004 | SAMEER N. YACOUB

[Charles Henrickson]

FALLUJAH, Iraq - Jubilant residents dragged the charred corpses of four foreigners — one a woman, at least one an American — through the streets Wednesday and hanged them from the bridge spanning the Euphrates River. Five American soldiers died in a roadside bombing nearby.

The four foreigners were killed in a rebel ambush of their SUVs in Fallujah, a Sunni Triangle city about 35 miles west of Baghdad and scene of some of the worst violence on both sides of the conflict since the beginning of the American occupation a year ago.

It was reminiscent of the 1993 scene in Somalia, when a mob dragged the corpse of a U.S. soldier through the streets of Mogadishu, eventually leading to the American withdrawal from the African nation.

In one of the bloodiest days for the U.S. military this year, five 1st Infantry Division soldiers died when their military vehicle ran over a bomb in a separate incident 12 miles to the northwest, among the reed-lined roads running through some of Iraq's richest farmland.

Residents said the bomb attack occurred in Malahma, 12 miles northwest of Fallujah, where anti-U.S. insurgents are active. U.S. Marines operate in the area, but it was unclear whether the slain troops were Marines.

Chanting "Fallujah is the graveyard of Americans," residents cheered after the grisly assault on two four-wheel-drive civilian vehicles, which left both in flames. Others chanted, "We sacrifice our blood and souls for Islam."

Associated Press Television News pictures showed one man beating a charred corpse with a metal pole. Others tied a yellow rope to a body, hooked it to a car and dragged it down the main street of town. Two blackened and mangled corpses were hung from a green iron bridge across the Euphrates.

"The people of Fallujah hanged some of the bodies on the old bridge like slaughtered sheep," resident Abdul Aziz Mohammed said. Some of the corpses were dismembered, he said.

Beneath the bodies, a man held a printed sign with a skull and crossbones and the phrase "Fallujah is the cemetery for Americans."

APTN showed the charred remains of three slain men. Some were wearing flak jackets, said resident Safa Mohammedi.

One resident displayed what appeared to be dog tags taken from one body. Residents also said there were weapons in the targeted cars. APTN showed one American passport near a body and a U.S. Department of Defense identification card belonging to another man.

U.S. military officials in Washington said the situation was still confused but they did not think the victims were American soldiers and believed the SUVs were not American military vehicles.

Witnesses said the two vehicles were attacked with small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades.

Hours after the attack, the city was quiet. No U.S. troops or Iraqi police were seen in the area.

Fallujah is in the so-called Sunni Triangle, where support for Saddam Hussein was strong and rebels often carry out attacks against American forces.

In nearby Ramadi, insurgents threw a grenade at a government building and Iraqi security forces returned fire Wednesday, witnesses said. It was not clear if there were casualties.

Also in Ramadi, a roadside bomb exploded near a U.S. convoy, witnesses said. U.S. officials in Baghdad could not confirm the attack.

On Tuesday in Ramadi, one U.S. soldier was killed and another wounded in a roadside bombing, said Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt.

Northeast of Baghdad, in the city of Baqouba on Wednesday, a suicide bomber blew up explosives in his car when he was near a convoy of government vehicles, wounding 14 Iraqis and killing himself, officials said.

The attacked convoy is normally used to transport the Diala provincial governor, Abdullah al-Joubori, but he was elsewhere at the time, said police Col. Ali Hossein.

On Tuesday, a suicide bombing outside the house of a police chief in Hillah, about 60 miles south of Baghdad, killed the attacker and wounded seven others.

A bomb exploded late Tuesday in a movie theater that had closed for the night. Two bystanders were wounded by flying glass, said its owner, Ghani Mohammed.

The latest violence came two days after Carina Perelli, the head of a U.N. electoral team, said better security is vital if Iraq wants to hold elections by a Jan. 31 deadline. The polls are scheduled to follow a June 30 transfer of sovereignty to an Iraqi government.

Top U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer said Tuesday he had appointed 21 anti-corruption inspectors general to government departments to try to prevent fraud. More will be named in coming days, he said.

The inspectors will work with two other newly formed, independent agencies. Together, they will "form an integrated approach intended to combat corruption at every level of government across the country," Bremer said.

[biblewonk]

To hell with that country. And the people.

My exact reflex, however, I know that is the reaction the liberal media is trying to generate. The next step is frustration with W for our being there in the first place. I am resisting being manipulated by the media but I sure am PO'ed at the Iraq MF's that did this!

[oceanview]

we had no air cover, like an apache, in the area that could have shot up these "celebrations"?

[ThermoNuclearWarrior]

liberals see these pictures and becomes afraid and cowardly. They lose their resolve and want to turn their backs and run. Conservatives see these pictures and become more determined to kill the evil scumbags that committed these atrocities. Iraq must be rid of all terrorist scum and we must not lose our resolve or the people who have died for this just cause will have died in vain.

[null and void]

Thank you

[CGVet58]

Gene, your blog is right on, and with your permission, I've pasted the impact points below:

"...One thing that makes this especially notable is that most of this after-ambush activity was photographed by an AP camera team. ( I'll come back to that point later.)
..."

And you follow with excellent questions...

"...There are some very troubling aspects to this morning's attack.

1. While "impromptu" ambushes are not uncommon, the successful ambush of moving vehicles generally requires advance knowledge of anticipated route.

2. The presence of an eager mob at the ambush site also suggests advance knowledge. To get that many people assembled first thing in the morning takes a bit of advance planning.

3. This brings me to the camera crew. The fact they were there at the scene , suggests they had foreknowledge. The fact they were able to film away without being molested suggests they had prior approval from the organizers of the ambush. ( A lot of the media TV crews are local people,working under contract. )


This morning's atrocities seem to have fulfilled many aims:

1. Increasing the "body bag count", so as to dismay American voters,and to persuade them to elect a candidate (such as John Kerry) more to the terrorists' liking.

2. Terrorizing the local population;

3. Creating dismay among civilian employees;

4. Keeping WMD inspectors away from sensitive areas;

5. Getting and maintaining media coverage..."

For all readers of this thread, the above logic is sound and indicates how yet again the media whores do hate America, and - like CNN's admitting that they squashed news reports of Saddams atrocities in order to remain in Bahgdad so they might be able to report "unbiased news"... - will knowingly be aware of an attack upon our warriors and heroic civilian personnel over there helping the Iraqis get back on their feet.

It's time the Jacksonians be given free reign and 40 tons of salt in the Sunni Triangle.

J

[Charles Henrickson]

[fsorbello]

I really can't add much to the anger already expressed here. I am just completely sickened by this entire situation.

I find myself asking:

Are these people really worth it?

Are they worthy of the lives we've spent in freeing them from their "beloved" butcher/leader?

The Christian in me says to turn the other cheek...the man in me says we should slaughter these maniacs with all due prejudice and hang THEIR bodies from some bridges.

Why have we not done anything yet?????

[Truthsayer20]

"Agreed. It's FAR better to let the animals live, and learn to fly airplanes, breed and grow bacteria, develop toxic chemicals, and strap on explosive belts..."

The problem is that there is no resolve to do things the way they should be done. The current exercise of installing a "multi-cultural" federal Iraqi government with the "religion of peace" enshrined in the constitution is not going to work.

[oceanview]

that is exactly it, that's what everyone needs to understand.

let's face it, we have similar people like this even in our own country. allow gangs to have free run of LA, you'd see things similar to these killings and celebrations right here in the US.

[Sporadicuss]

"I'm more and more starting to think the whole Iraq war was a mistake."

And that's exactly what the people doing these killings want you to think.

--As do the dems!
This is not a mistake. It's a matter of principle and most importantly, we must finish what we started!

[StoneColdGOP]

The next step is frustration with W for our being there in the first place. I am resisting being manipulated by the media but I sure am PO'ed at the Iraq MF's that did this!

Little a factor for me, my frustration with W on other matters has already soured me on him. Pulling out of that damn country would be a good idea.

But maybe keep the oil fields. That's what the Democrats think we're there for anyway. May as well go ahead and do it.

[null and void]

Bingo!

[Cinnamon Girl]

It still shocks me that there are whole groups of people in the world who could not only commit such atrocities against living human beings, but who could dance and sing around the mutilated bodies. Can such people ever be civilized?

[null and void]

You've defined the problem pretty well.

My solution is flatten Fallujah, salt the earth.

What's yours?

[Saundra Duffy]

Unlike Blackhawk Down when Clinton turned tail and ran, President Bush is going to do something about this act of barbarism!

[b4its2late]

Are these people really worth it?

I believe the vast majority of them are, but these thugs are Iraqi terrorists that need to feel some pain.

[null and void]

President Bush is going to do something about this act of barbarism!

You hope.

[faithincowboys]

Fallujah cannot continue to resist in the way it is without getting destroyed. We have thrown out all of the rules of warfare in exchange for this nice guy stuff. We can't allow this to go on without taking these people down.

Any celebrations on the corpses of our people should be bombed to kingdom come. We need to get tougher. Everyone who celebrated these murders should be dead.

[TomGuy]

Radio news said that the 4 killed were contract workers. No further details.