Iraqis Drag Four Corpses Through Streets
By SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Writer
FALLUJAH, Iraq - Jubilant residents dragged the charred corpses of four foreigners — one a woman, at least one an American — through the streets Wednesday and hanged them from the bridge spanning the Euphrates River. Five American troops died in a roadside bombing nearby.
The four foreigners were killed in a rebel ambush of their SUVs in Fallujah, a Sunni Triangle city about 35 miles west of Baghdad and scene of some of the worst violence on both sides of the conflict since the beginning of the American occupation a year ago.
It was reminiscent of the 1993 scene in Somalia, when a mob dragged the corpse of a U.S. soldier through the streets of Mogadishu, eventually leading to the American withdrawal from the African nation.
In one of the bloodiest days for the U.S. military this year, five American troops died when their military vehicle ran over a bomb in a separate incident 12 miles to the northwest, among the reed-lined roads running through some of Iraq's richest farmland.
Residents said the bomb attack occurred in Malahma, 12 miles northwest of Fallujah, where anti-U.S. insurgents are active. U.S. Marines operate in the area, but it was unclear whether the slain troops were Marines.
Chanting "Fallujah is the graveyard of Americans," residents cheered after the grisly assault on two four-wheel-drive civilian vehicles, which left both in flames. Others chanted, "We sacrifice our blood and souls for Islam."
Associated Press Television News pictures showed one man beating a charred corpse with a metal pole. Others tied a yellow rope to a body, hooked it to a car and dragged it down the main street of town. Two blackened and mangled corpses were hung from a green iron bridge across the Euphrates.
"The people of Fallujah hanged some of the bodies on the old bridge like slaughtered sheep," resident Abdul Aziz Mohammed said. Some of the corpses were dismembered, he said.
Beneath the bodies, a man held a printed sign with a skull and crossbones and the phrase "Fallujah is the cemetery for Americans."
APTN showed the charred remains of three slain men. Some were wearing flak jackets, said resident Safa Mohammedi.
One resident displayed what appeared to be dog tags taken from one body. Residents also said there were weapons in the targeted cars. APTN showed one American passport near a body and a U.S. Department of Defense identification card belonging to another man.
U.S. military officials in Washington said the situation was still confused but they did not think the victims were American soldiers and believed the SUVs were not American military vehicles.
Witnesses said the two vehicles were attacked with small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades.
Hours after the attack, the city was quiet. No U.S. troops or Iraqi police were seen in the area.
Fallujah is in the so-called Sunni Triangle, where support for Saddam Hussein was strong and rebels often carry out attacks against American forces.
In nearby Ramadi, insurgents threw a grenade at a government building and Iraqi security forces returned fire Wednesday, witnesses said. It was not clear if there were casualties.
Also in Ramadi, a roadside bomb exploded near a U.S. convoy, witnesses said. U.S. officials in Baghdad could not confirm the attack.
On Tuesday in Ramadi, one U.S. soldier was killed and another wounded in a roadside bombing, said Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt.
Northeast of Baghdad, in the city of Baqouba on Wednesday, a suicide bomber blew up explosives in his car when he was near a convoy of government vehicles, wounding 14 Iraqis and killing himself, officials said.
The attacked convoy is normally used to transport the Diala provincial governor, Abdullah al-Joubori, but he was elsewhere at the time, said police Col. Ali Hossein.
On Tuesday, a suicide bombing outside the house of a police chief in Hillah, about 60 miles south of Baghdad, killed the attacker and wounded seven others.
A bomb exploded late Tuesday in a movie theater that had closed for the night. Two bystanders were wounded by flying glass, said its owner, Ghani Mohammed.
The latest violence came two days after Carina Perelli, the head of a U.N. electoral team, said better security is vital if Iraq wants to hold elections by a Jan. 31 deadline. The polls are scheduled to follow a June 30 transfer of sovereignty to an Iraqi government.
Top U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer said Tuesday he had appointed 21 anti-corruption inspectors general to government departments to try to prevent fraud. More will be named in coming days, he said.
The inspectors will work with two other newly formed, independent agencies. Together, they will "form an integrated approach intended to combat corruption at every level of government across the country," Bremer said.
Bomb Kills Five U.S. Soldiers in Iraq
Wed Mar 31, 4:52 AM ET
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A bomb exploded under a U.S. military vehicle west of Baghdad on Wednesday, killing five soldiers, the military said. At least four people, including one American and possibly other foreign nationals, were killed in a separate attack. Crowds burned and mutilated their bodies.
The explosive device that killed the American soldiers blew up when their vehicle ran over it, U.S. Army Col. Jill Morgenthaler said in Baghdad. The attack occurred in Anbar province, which encompasses Fallujah, Ramadi and other towns where anti-U.S. insurgents are active.
Residents said the bomb attack occurred in Malahma, 12 miles northwest of Fallujah.
In an unrelated attack Wednesday, gunmen in Fallujah attacked two civilian cars that residents said were carrying foreign nationals. The occupants of the cars were killed and their vehicles were set on fire. Witnesses saw at least four bodies.
Footage from Associated Press Television News showed a charred body of one of the slain men, and the targeted vehicles in flames nearby. Some of the slain men were wearing flak jackets, said Safa Mohammedi, a resident.
APTN footage showed one American passport near a body.
Another resident, Abdul Aziz Mohammed, said angry crowds dragged the bodies through the streets, dismembered them and hanged some of the mutilated corpses. One man beat a corpse with a metal pole. Residents tied a cord to another body, tied it to a car and drove it down a street.
"The people of Fallujah hanged some of the bodies on the old bridge like slaughtered sheep," Mohammed said. "I saw it myself."
The identities of the slain men were unclear. One resident displayed what appeared to be dog tags taken from one body. Residents also said there were weapons in the targeted cars.
Chanting "Fallujah is the graveyard of Americans," residents cheered after the grisly assault on two four-wheel-drive civilian vehicles, which left both in flames. Others chanted, "We sacrifice our blood and souls for Islam."Associated Press Television News pictures showed one man beating a charred corpse with a metal pole. Others tied a yellow rope to a body, hooked it to a car and dragged it down the main street of town. Two blackened and mangled corpses were hung from a green iron bridge across the Euphrates.
"The people of Fallujah hanged some of the bodies on the old bridge like slaughtered sheep," resident Abdul Aziz Mohammed said. Some of the corpses were dismembered, he said.
Beneath the bodies, a man held a printed sign with a skull and crossbones and the phrase "Fallujah is the cemetery for Americans."
APTN showed the charred remains of three slain men. Some were wearing flak jackets, said resident Safa Mohammedi.
One resident displayed what appeared to be dog tags taken from one body. Residents also said there were weapons in the targeted cars. APTN showed one American passport near a body and a U.S. Department of Defense (news - web sites) identification card belonging to another man. ===============
FOR EMPHASIS. DEVILISH COWARDS. NUKE 'EM. THE ENTIRE TOWN. MAke it an example.
This morning,2 unarmored,unescorted vehicles were amushed in Fallujah,in the heart of the "Sunni Triangle" - a location where Ba'ath Party loyalists and al-Qaeda terrorists have joined forces to conduct almost constant attacks on US troops,civilian contractors,and civilians attached to the military government.
At least 3 - possibly as many as 8 people-all wearing civilian clothes,were killed in the ambush. A crowd of 150 men:cheering, and chanting Islamic slogans,set the vehicles on fire,mutilated burned bodies,dragged at least 2 bodies through the streets behind a car,and hung 2 of the victims' bodies from a bridge.
One thing that makes this especially notable is that most of this after-ambush activity was photographed by an AP camera team. ( I'll come back to that point later.)
My suspicion-at this time- is that the victims were part of a WMD search team. Witnesses at the scene have indicated 2 of the victims were wearing flak jackets,and may have been armed with rifles. One victim is said to have been carrying a DOD identification card.
Fallujah was the site of one of Saddam Hussein's WMD facilities: FALLUJAH II . A 2002 CIA report indicates precursor chemicals for nerve gas,choking agents,etc. were manufactured here, and there was a plant for the extraction of Ricin from castor oils. It was also believed materials for biowarfare were produced here.
The US has sent WMD teams into this and other areas,but they have come under such intense attack,most of the search activity has been scaled back. Recent news reports indicate the teams have resumed their search; and, since this is a prime area to search for clues,I suspect the victims were doing just that.
There are some very troubling aspects to this morning's attack.
1. While "impromptu" ambushes are not uncommon, the successful ambush of moving vehicles generally requires advance knowledge of anticipated route.
2. The presence of an eager mob at the ambush site also suggests advance knowledge. To get that many people assembled first thing in the morning takes a bit of advance planning.
3. This brings me to the camera crew. The fact they were there at the scene , suggests they had foreknowledge. The fact they were able to film away without being molested suggests they had prior approval from the organizers of the ambush. ( A lot of the media TV crews are local people,working under contract. )
This morning's atrocities seem to have fulfilled many aims:
1. Increasing the "body bag count", so as to dismay American voters,and to persuade them to elect a candidate (such as John Kerry) more to the terrorists' liking.
2. Terrorizing the local population;
3. Creating dismay among civilian employees;
4. Keeping WMD inspectors away from sensitive areas;
5. Getting and maintaining media coverage.
Innocents have again been slaughtered and put on display for the world to see. May the truth of this horror be plainly seen by the eyes of the world ... that the enemy reveres not life, nor is the enemy reverential in death. The souls are but pawns in a quest for power, and as the time grows short when liberty takes hold, the wrath of the enemy increases.
Merciful Father, comfort the families of those who have been lost. Under gird them with the knowledge that the enemy cannot touch the soul, no matter what is done to the outward man. Let no nation shrink from this horror ... counter the enemy's opportunity to lead in cries to withdraw to safety ... to take troops from the battlefield as a means of protection. From the beginning of mankind, You have warned that only destruction gives victory over evil ... that we are not to be seduced into thinking that giving quarter to the enemy takes any of us out of harm's way. You are a Merciful God ... You are Just God ... we know that You will exact vengeance upon the death of the innocents. We long for Your perfect justice to prevail, yet until that day, O God, keep us committed to the battle for freedom and security. Give the greatest wisdom that we would be able to thwart such barbaric attacks upon the people, even while our hearts grieve for those whose blood has been spilled in the cause of freedom. In the Name of Jesus, we pour out our prayers before You, Amen ...