[Pubbie]

The Pentagon insisted the body count was accurate.

[Steel Wolf]

Something doesn't add up. A raging three hour battle with tanks, APCs and an entire humvee convoy would produce at least 50 dead bad guys. It's preposterous to think that it was only eight civilians.

Its far more likely that they simply didn't bring their dead to the morgue. I mean, are insurgents going to go to the local authorities and just turn over 50 bodies?

[pierrem15]

I saw the photos of many burned out cars on Yahoo, despite the fact that they had 24 hours to clean things up.

My guess is the 46-54 is pretty accurate.

[txhurl]

bump for another one

[freedomcrusader]

t appeared from the anger among Iraqis in Samarra that America faces a fundamental dilemma: As it steps up the pressure on the insurgents who are killing Americans and Iraqis in growing numbers, the very Iraqis they are trying to win over may be alienated.

If these folks aren't happy that terrorists are dead, then they're not the ones we're trying to win over, and they also might just happen to get caught in the crossfire while they're "just crossing the street."

[Chummy]

"...Iraqis disputed the death toll and said anger against America would only rise....

You have to be alive to be angry.

Here's a clue: stop ambushing and fighting to win back the 'good old days' of the dictatorship of an evil tyrant and your counts will fall back to where you think they may be.

[Trampled by Lambs]

I think they dragged away the bodies and, who knows, maybe even killed a few civilians to make us look bad.

[TexKat]

Mystery shrouds whereabouts of bodies of 54 insurgents said killed by US

[Solar Wind]

Pubbie,

Thanks for the post. This was not just an ambush. This was an attempted hold up of the payroll convoy going to the bank. Just follow the money. The same convoy had been hit in the past but this time our boys were ready for a good fight, which they provided in full measure. These "insurgents" were not fighting for Iraq, Islam or anything else other than money. They were just lowly bank robbers.

SW

[tiki]

Let's see, hmmmm, who to believe insurgents or Americans?

[Symblized]

And Dexter Filkins, one of the co-authors of the piece, was on PBS NewsHour tonight. He said that the Pentagon story that insurgents carried off the bodies in the night was convincing, and that he had heard similar detailed stories about the engagement from numerous soldiers involved, but seemed to note that the Iraqi stories varied.

Remember also that there are thriving rumor mills among Iraqi citizens.