VOA and Defense Officials Acknowledge 'Possible' / 'Probable' Execution of POWs

Voice of America ^ | March 23, 2003 | Alex Belida

[Ironword]

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23 Mar 2003 19:15 UTC

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Bodies of US Soldiers Indicate Possible Execution, say US officials
Alex Belida
Pentagon
23 Mar 2003, 20:11 UTC

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Defense officials say the bodies of what may be American soldiers shown in a controversial Arab television broadcast have wounds indicating they were probably executed.

Defense officials who have seen the al-Jazeera videotape say several of the corpses appear to have head wounds - a sign, they fear, that the victims were executed and not killed in combat.

One senior Pentagon official calls broadcast of the tape an outrage and a blatant violation of the Geneva Conventions.

Officials are also describing as a violation the display in the broadcast of what appear to be live American soldiers held by the Iraqis as prisoners of war. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said, under the Conventions, they are not supposed to be photographed, embarrassed or humiliated.

The Pentagon has acknowledged a small number of U.S. soldiers are missing and unaccounted for in southern Iraq. But they have withheld formal confirmation that any Americans are being held captive, pending notification of their families.

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[Ironword]

The CinC, SecDef, and the folks at CentCom need to grab this vile bull by the horns and wrestle it to the ground in public view rather than gloss over the matter and condemn only "the pictures."

[NavyCaptain]

There would be no reason to evacuate "dead" bodies killed in action away from the battle front by the Iraqis. They were brought back for the PR impact and killed. May the Iraqi face the same fate soon!

[Trust but Verify]

Isn't there a bounty on coalition GI's? That would be a good reason for a soldier to collect the bodies.

On another point, if headshots are considered evidence of execution, should we consider any Iraqi shot through the head to have been executed?

[Ironword]

May the Iraqi face the same fate soon!

Hell is too good for the animals in the Iraqi regulars and merc units and among the Baathist mongrels.

[Ironword]

Head shot's tough when one is wearing a helmet . . .

Besides, what is it with these freaks that they have this need to pull men's pants down before they are executed? Remember the poor slob Taliban partisan that was captured in a ditch by Northern Alliance soldiers, how they pulled down his pants before shooting him up in the road?

Must be an Arab culture thing.

[Trust but Verify]

And how do we know they were wearing helmets? They were support people, probably caught way off guard in a terrible situation.

[Ironword]

Well, your supposition is 50% as likely as mine. But I'm basing my comments on the opinion of the defense officials cited in the article.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[Trailerpark Badass]

On another point, if headshots are considered evidence of execution, should we consider any Iraqi shot through the head to have been executed?

You obviously don't shoot much. And neither do the Iraqis. Getting headshots (5, no less!) with a Kalashnikov much past contact range would be quite a feat.

But something tells me that forensic examination would show the projos to be pistol caliber.

[Trust but Verify]

I saw some of the pictures and they weren't all headshots. There are clearly other very severe wounds.

[Trailerpark Badass]

In addition, U.S. troops aren't likely to be getting many headshots, either, unless they're SOF clearing rooms.

As I said, you obviously don't shoot much.

[Trust but Verify]

I don't shoot at all. So what? You stated they were all headshots. I don't think that's true.

[eastforker]

Isaw the pics and the blood pool,these guys were executed,plain and simple.My heart goes out to thier families,this is war,my son is there also,time to open a can of WA and never look back.

[Ironword]

Some of the fallen were shown outdoors around equipment, but the ones shown in the "morgue" room are the ones in question, I believe.

[Ironword]

I saw the pics and the blood pool,these guys were executed,plain and simple.

I agree.

Godspeed to your boy.

[Trailerpark Badass]

I saw some of the pictures and they weren't all headshots. There are clearly other very severe wounds.

Jeez. The point remains: small arms headshots, especially from Iraqis, are the result of executions. Any exceptions to this fact will only prove the rule.

[MizSterious]

Ironword, to answer your question, the Iraqis like to rape--both men and women--before they kill them. This according to people who have escaped Iraq, and since given interviews on our networks. Horrible fates were met by these brave souls.

[Ironword]

Truly demented . . .

[Trailerpark Badass]

I don't shoot at all. So what? You stated they were all headshots. I don't think that's true.

Ugh.

Have fun with yourself.

[Ironword]

If I understand correctly from late reports, these soldiers were with the unit that was ambushed.