Posted on 06/20/2006 6:26:39 AM PDT by areafiftyone
BAGHDAD, Iraq - An Iraqi military official said Tuesday that the bodies of two missing U.S. soldiers showed signs of torture, and that men appeared to have been killed "in a barbaric way." Also, the umbrella group for Iraqi insurgents claimed responsibility for the soldiers' deaths.
"We give the good news ... to the Islamic nation that we have carried God's verdict by slaughtering the two captured crusaders," said a statement in the name of the Mujahedeen Shura Council, which groups five insurgent organizations including al-Qaida in Iraq.
At a news briefing, U.S. Maj. Gen. William Caldwell declined to identify the two men until their families could be notified.
Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston, and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore., disappeared after an insurgent attack Friday at a checkpoint by a Euphrates River canal south of Baghdad. Spc. David J. Babineau, 25, of Springfield, Mass., was killed.
The checkpoint was in the Sunni Arab region known as the "Triangle of Death" because of frequent ambushes there of U.S. soldiers and Iraqi troops.
The three men were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
"The news is going to be heartbreaking for my family," Menchaca's uncle, Ken MacKenzie, told NBC's "Today" show.
He said the United States should have paid a ransom for the two soldiers from money seized from Saddam Hussein.
"I think the U.S. was too slow to react to this," MacKenzie said. "Because the U.S. did not have a plan in place, my nephew has paid with his life."
The director of the Iraqi defense military's operation room, Maj. Gen. Abdul-Aziz Mohammed, said the two bodies were found on a street near the town Youssifiyah, close to the scene of the attack. The U.S. military could not confirm that account.
Caldwell, the chief U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said details of what happened to the two missing soldiers and about the bodies found would be released later Tuesday after the families of the soldiers were informed.
"Until we know the families have been both briefed and have been fully informed ... it would be inappropriate," he said.
A search involving more than 8,000 Iraqi and American troops turned up nothing over the weekend, but troops searching for the soldiers killed three suspected insurgents and detained 34 in fighting that also left seven U.S. servicemen wounded, Caldwell said.
A farmer claiming to have witnessed the attack told The Associated Press on Sunday that insurgents swarmed the checkpoint, killing the driver of a Humvee before taking two of his comrades captive.
Ahmed Khalaf Falah said three Humvees were manning a checkpoint when they came under fire from many directions. Two Humvees went after the assailants but the third was ambushed before it could move.
He said seven masked gunmen, one carrying a heavy machine gun, killed the driver of the third vehicle and took the two other U.S. soldiers captive. His account could not be verified independently.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari also said the soldiers appeared to have been taken prisoner by insurgents.
The military said Saturday that soldiers at a nearby checkpoint heard small-arms fire and explosions during the attack at 7:15 p.m. Friday, and a quick-reaction force reached the scene within 15 minutes. The force found one soldier dead but no signs of the other two.
"I'll tell you when. They will get angry when there is a major attack in the U.S. 3,000 dead on 9/11 wasn't enough -- it will have to be more like 3 million dead."
nope.....a suicide bomber at a small town America Friday night football game......followed by bombers at small town shopping malls the next day......then a few at McDonalds.....etc.....
less than a 1/3 the casualties of 9/11 but 10x's the anger across America....
They would do it......
—Our Father in Heaven, as we go into battle, every soldier among us will approach you each in his own way, our enemies too, according to their own understanding and will ask for protection and victory, and so we bow before your infinite wisdom. We offer our prayers as best we can. Yes, and one more thing, dear Lord. About our enemies—ignore their heathen prayers and help us blow those little bastards straight to hell. Amen.
Mel Gibson - -quote from: the movie “We Were Soldiers”
I'm amazed at how many people have forgotten what 9/11 was like.
I'm not sure 3 million dead on our soil would change the minds of the Liberals.
they = that
Too bad Mel Gibson opposes the war in Iraq.
The Left already blames Bush for 9/11 and thinks that if Gore was in office that 9/11 would never have happened. You just can't win with them.
You are absolutely correct sir. the left has mastered the art of fixing their bubble in a crisis. 20 years from now, if a Democrat is President, and we get attacked, I truly believe they will still blame Bush for going into Iraq. that is how far I believe our great country has fallen. I say this with tears coming down my face. Please Lord please, let a strong person run our country for as long as can be. Otherwise I fear we will meet our maker sooner than we would like.
We won't do it...because that's barbaric...(sarcasm)...grrrr.
sw
These guys were NOT "captured". We know that the military tells them to fight to the end, don't surrender, or be captured. They know what will happen to them IF captured. THESE GUYS WERE HEROS WHO FOUGHT TO THE END. THEIR BODIES WERE DESICRATED AFTER THEY WERE DEAD SO THE ENEMY COULD CLAIM "CAPTURE".
nuff said
I'm sure he will just say that our troops should have been out of there six months ago.
I am convinced that if we were not over there, we would have been hit with more attacks here. And you're right, if there is an attack, Bush will be blamed for stirring the pot. Forget about the fact that 3,000 innocent civilians were killed on 9/11. What did we do to provoke that attack? Or the attack on the Cole? Or the African embassies? Or every attack over the last 30 years. There is no reasoning with terrorists.
Ditto! I am offended that members of the pig-O-phobic hate cult Is-Slime are allowed to remain on US soil instead of under it. I am offended that my government still not only proclaims the pig-O-Phobes as a religion but a religion of peace. I am offended that the same air I breath might have passed through the lungs of one of these maggot pig-O-phobes. I am offended that my government forbids my taking appropriate action against their weapons factories cloaked under the false shield called a mosque.
Gee by now the MSM would have informed us of the method of abuse if it had been panties on the head of a mudslime but details regarding a couple of brave solders is slow in coming. I hope it is just due to sensitivities for the families.
As I said earlier, if you catch a terrorist, you tie them to the back of a HumV, and drag them. Too barbaric? The middle East still believes in public hanging. No trial, no jury. You get caught plating a bomb. Hell, you get caught helping an insurgent fix a flat tire, the country will cheer you to the gallows.
I'd quietly let the Sunni's know that if the US pulls away, then the Shiia have our tacit approval to commence genocide if they don't turn in the perps and stop the insurgency.
We have been way too polite.
Watch the driveby media shut this up.
Even in this story it only took the AP about 12 sentences before they hit up the US military as being the main culprits.
If the MSM has to blame the the real killers - the Iraqi/AlQaeda monsters, they'll drop it. If they can someone blame the US military, they'll keep it going forever.
What's Murtha going to say about this? Will he care? Will Murtha be outraged?
Though devils all the world shall fill, all eager to devour us
We tremble not, nor fear no ill, they shall not overpower us
This world's devil may still scowl fierce as he will, he can harm us none
He's judged, the deed is done, one little Word can fell him
Stay the course......
Leni
Is he kidding? I know he's grieving and probably not thinking clearly, but that is the worst thing we could have done.
Stay safe my friend, watch your back, never give up, never surrender.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.