Posted on 03/30/2003 3:18:22 AM PST by Glenn
The uniforms, found by U.S. troops who took over the hospital, appeared to have had their name tags and flag patches ripped off, perhaps to hide the identity of their owners, the official said.
The troops also discovered what appeared to be a torture device made of a metal cot and a car battery.
The uniforms appear to belong to some of the members of the Army's 507th Ordnance Maintenance Company, who were ambushed March 23 in Nasiriya. Two soldiers were known to have been killed. Eight others are missing, and five were taken as prisoners of war.
Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command announced Saturday that two Marines have been killed in separate incidents in Iraq.
Central Command said one Marine from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force was killed late Friday night when he was hit by a Humvee during a firefight with Iraqi soldiers in south-central Iraq.
The other Marine, also from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, drowned early Friday when the Humvee in which he was riding rolled over into a canal in south-central Iraq.
Marines at the scene tried for 30 minutes to revive him, Central Command's statement said.
Overnight and into early Sunday, U.S.-led coalition airstrikes continued across Iraq, with force commanders stressing they were emphasizing precision strikes on Iraqi regime, military and "irregular" targets.
Flashes lit up the night sky above Baghdad, and Mosul and Kalak in northern Iraq, as explosions were heard in all three cities.
The bombing of the northern cities in the last 24 hours is the most intense in the area since the war started.
In Baghdad, coalition forces dropped satellite-guided munitions on two surface-to-air missile complexes. Central Command said coalition aircraft also bombed the main training facility of the Iraqi paramilitary forces in Ar Rustamiyah, eastern Baghdad. The forces in that area are in charge of security functions in eastern Baghdad, Central Command said.
The U.S. military said it also targeted command-and-control facilities at the Abu Garayb Presidential Palace and two facilities at the Karada Intelligence Complex.
The Karada complex is on the banks of the Tigris River in southern Baghdad.
A few hours later, at least four large explosions rocked a residential compound northwest of the Information Ministry, where many government officials live.
The threat from Iraqi "irregulars" was emphasized earlier Saturday when a suicide bomber blew up his car at a military checkpoint in the central Iraqi town of Najaf, killing four U.S. soldiers with the 3rd Infantry Division, military officials said.
Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan said at a news conference Saturday that coalition forces could expect more suicide bombings and praised "every martyr that aims to protect their land." Sunday morning, Iraq TV announced that President Saddam Hussein would give the family of the man who carried out Saturday's attack 100 million dinars, or about $35,000. (Full story)
The foreign minister of Iran also aimed threatening words at the United States, warning Sunday that "the worst days are yet to come" in Iraq.
Kamal Kharrazi used as one example suicide bombings, which he said likely will escalate. He also accused U.S. officials of miscalculating how much the Iraqis would welcome the invading military.
"The reality of the truth is that regardless how much the Iraqi people are disgruntled with their regime and with their government, still they would not want or allow a government imposed on them by foreigners," he told reporters at the Foreign Ministry in Tehran.
Despite those threats, U.S. Central Command Director of Operations Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart said the suicide attack would not change the coalition's operational strategy but added that it was still under review.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Not only do I have yellow ribbons tied around my patio post, car mirrors, etc., I have a purple ribbon, which signifies (at least to me) a wounded country and the casualties & injured that have paid for my freedom with their blood.
What a stupid, unfounded in any facts, ignorant of the past 3 months of world events, statement to make ...
Well then, guess I was hard on my reply to your being hard on the President then .... as Emily Latila would often say .... "That's different! Never mind"!!
This is a service flag and there are certain rules that pertain to just "who" can fly it (immediate relatives of those serving, service members, etc.) go to www.serviceflags.com and you can check it out. :o)
The race hustlers are working this war and the courageous sacrifices of our troops for their own personal benefit. They continue to keep "their folks" down on the RAT Plantation. I believe that the only way to beat them and to awaken "their folks" to their own potential is the way that our President is dealing with them...just like the North Koreans...by not giving them the time of day! That is the ultimate humiliation...to be labeled totally irrelevent!
You weren't just hard on him. You were talking out of your butt. ; )
(I'm concerned about some of the same things you are, but I really don't think President Bush is concerned about his image OR restraining Rummy.)
God Bless america >
A prerequisite of participating in an Anti War Protest Rally should be getting hooked up to this torture devise for 30 seconds. Wonder how many of these commie bast*rds would march then?
Yes, quite correctly. I put the link to the original thread in your freep mail.
President Bush has shown to the world leadership qualities that are sorely lacking in the so called "leaders" of France, Germany, Russia, etc.
Unlike those mentioned who are afraid to stand up and oppose evil, whether it be for fear of political or economic risks, our President has stood head and shoulders above them in leading this just war.
I, too, pray that not one more US or coalition soldier is caught, killed or tortured because of our desire to protect Iraqi civilians. But I don't believe President Bush's concern for innocent Iraqi's is because he is worried about his image in the world.
The treatment of our captured troops by the Iraqi's as opposed to our treatment of POW's and our concern for the safety of Iraqi civilians as opposed to Iraq's lack of concern for them demonstrates the difference between our Western culture and their Islamic one.
God bless our troops, from the Commander In Chief to every Private and foot soldier.
Best regards,
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