Posted on 10/22/2005 6:17:26 AM PDT by AliVeritas
There simply wasn't enough room on the rocky hilltop above Gonbaz village in southern Afghanistan for the U.S. platoon and the corpses of the two Taliban fighters. The Taliban men had been killed in a firefight 24 hours earlier, and in the 90 degree heat, their bodies had become an unbearable presence, soldiers who were present have told TIME. Nor was the U.S. Army unit about to leave the hilltop commanded a strategic view of the village below where other Taliban were suspected to be hiding.
Earlier, Lt. Eric Nelson, the leader of B Company, I-508 platoon leader had sent word down to Gonbaz asking the villagers to pick up the bodies and bury them according to Muslim ritual. But the villagers refused probably because the dead fighters weren't locals but Pakistanis, surmised one U.S. army officer.
It was then that Lt. Nelson took the decision that could jeopardize his service career. "We decided to burn the bodies," one soldier recounts, "because they were bloated and they stank." News of this cremation may have remained on these scorching hills of southern Afghanistan, had the gruesome act not been recorded on film by an Australian photojournalist, Stephen Dupont. Instead, when the footage aired on Australian TV on Wednesday, it unleashed world outrage. A Pentagon spokesman described the incident as "repugnant" and said that the army was launching a criminal investigation into the alleged desecration of the corpses, which is in violation of the Geneva Convention on human rights.
(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...
Fueling the furor was the fact that...after the bodies were torched, a U.S. Psychological-Operations team descended on Gonbaz in Humvees with their loudspeakers booming: "Taliban, you are cowardly dogs. You are too scared to come down and retrieve the bodies. This just proves you are the lady-boys we always believed you to be."
Heh heh.
These animals burn and hang our people's bodies.
Who cares?
lol...girly men
bump
SUPPORT THE TROOPS!! The armchair quarterbacks screaming to court martial these men make me sick. All is fair in love and war. Bodies are routinely cremated in this country. Now we have to be concerned how the terrorists feel if we cremate their dead, give me a break and give the troops a medal.
If they did it for sanitation purposes, so be it. But, desecration of your enemy's body, no matter how despicable he is, is wrong and unprofessional. Anyone can understand the impulse and desire to do it, but the OIC in any unit is supposed to prevent that sort of behavior. I know everyone seems to disagree with this view, but it's not what American soldiers should be doing.
I'm still outraged about hanging burned corpses of American contractors from a bridge. I feel a little better now.
Where are the buzzards when you need them. Oh I forgot there was one, a MSM photog. that then actually put a LIE to the picture.
Same here
I guess your sensibilities would be happier if the maggots and buzzards took care of the bodies. Now that's respectful.
God Bless our Troops!
One condition follows the other.
Profound point.
Memo to our military: Get the f**king journalists out of there! They are not your friend, they are your enemy's friend.
Maybe standard issue should include some large garbage bags, so they can place the bodies inside to stop the smell.
Maybe even add a few slices of bacon inside.
Let's see if I get this right
The dead bodies were bloated and stank
The villagers down the hill were asked to come get the bodies
The villagers wouldn't
So, for sanitation reasons the bodies were burned.
Meanwhile LIBERAL Reporter, knowing all of this films the burning.
PSYOPS Team comes up having learned of the Burning to make use of it for an OPERATION of the heretofore unconnected acts.
Meanwhile LIBERAL Reporter, knowing all of this films the PSYOPS action. LIBERAL Reporter sends film back of both acts claiming that two actions are one action.
PM Howard,... I think it's time some of your best, took hold of this Reporter and placed him in the dock. I'll leave the exact charges and specifications to your able hands.
TIME magazine makes for great kindling when burning terrorists.
Well, the Taliban animals better not let themselves get killed.
Do let's recall...
The Left at Moveon.org, The Democratic Underground, The Daily Kos and other fever swamp cess pools CELEBRATED this.
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