Posted on 03/29/2006 8:30:24 PM PST by jmc1969
The Iraqi commander during a controversial raid by American and Iraq forces is backing the U.S. version of a battle that left 16 Iraqis dead, Lara Logan reports.
In an exclusive interview with CBS, the Iraqi commander says accusations that U.S. forces killed innocent civilians in Sunday's raid on a building in Baghdad were "not true."
Accounts of the Baghdad raid varied. Aides to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said 18 men were killed in the joint U.S.-Iraqi raid on a mosque. The Americans said Iraqi special forces backed by U.S. troops killed 16 "insurgents" in a raid on a community meeting hall after gunmen opened fire on approaching troops.
The commander insisted his Iraqi Special Operations troops had to fight their way into the target building where they killed gunmen guarding a hostage and found various weapons including rocket launchers and heavy machine guns.
"We know this, the building, is used for to capture the civilians, the civilian people, by bad guys and they need money," the commander tells Logan.
A man who claims he was held hostage in the building, says of his captors, "They beat me, they kicked me and they used an electric drill on me. I thought I was going to die."
At one point during the emotional interview, he broke down and had to be comforted, Logan notes. When asked about the militia men who were holding him, he said he was too terrified to say anything about them.
"If you go to the streets and see all the people who have left their houses and if you go to the morgue and see all the bodies then you will understand," he says.
For security reasons, neither the Iraqi commander or alleged hostage would reveal their names or if they were Sunni or Shiite.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Nice pics.
They are good pics
Some subtle messages there
More to come - 911 graphics and audios on my FR homepage
The Americans said Iraqi special forces backed by U.S. troops killed 16 "insurgents" in a raid on a community meeting hall after gunmen opened fire on approaching troops.
Gee, let's see....which source is more credible? Gosh, what a tough decision.
(The MSM just makes me sick! Is there any doubt whose SIDE they're taking on this??)
thank you Iraqi commander for stepping fwd
"Sorry to see that all of the 'BS networks need the confirmation of an Iraqi soldier, to believe U.S. Military!"
Nothing new there. The strong anti-military bias has been ingrained for over a generation.
I do believe though that the LibIdiots would be more inclined to side with our military if our armed forces could divest themselves of all those white Christian males.
He amost got hit by an 'un-accidental' mortar a few days ago.
They missed, but they tried.
I hope they have more success next time around.
One does wonder, doesn't one?
It seems to me that if we can get the sonofabitch on film, we can get the sonofabitch with a .30 calibre round!
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