Iraqis Drag Four Corpses Through Streets

AP ^ | March 31, 2004 | SAMEER N. YACOUB

[Charles Henrickson]

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 soldiers 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 1st Infantry Division soldiers 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.

[Joe Hadenuf]

hmmm guess you are clueless, you blasted someone in post#100 about praying for civilians. So according to you even if they are American civilians they dont deserve a prayer?

I've seen some weird mumbo jumbo twists and donkey speak, but this just about wins the prize.

[null and void]

Why does blood always look redder on an arabic language sites? Is there some technical reason, different coding for colors, like the differences between TV coding between NTSC, SCAM and PAL, or is it just that they like to enhance the bloodshed?

[boxerblues]

Im a lair? and you can really need to attend more anger management classes

To: Fitzcarraldo "Will Kerry also "drag these corpses through the street" of public opinion? " I predict yes. Great Question.

Prayers for Our Troops and Civilians in Iraq, And for those on our side, the side of Freedom. ( and for good measure seeing how you have selective sight skills ) (including many Iraqis)

May the response by our CIC and Military be decisive and extreme to those guilty of even support for this hideous and pathetic act.

100 posted on 03/31/2004 11:01:23 AM EST by No Blue States [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

[null and void]

Perhaps we should surrender, no?

[The Great RJ]

What would Saddam have done in a situation like this?? He would have rounded up the perpetrators or anyone else involved and executed them. I hate to say that maybe in this case Saddam had the right idea. These people do not respond to kindness and compassion...they do understand swift justice.

[boxerblues]

The latest information is that at least three of the four were American civilians (see caption below). They were contractors--I'm guessing they were there to help rebuild Iraq.


but I guess they dont deserve our PRAYERS, they are just civilians

[estpeter]

I HOPE they will hear from us very soon. Without any retaliation for these crimes Bush will be toast.

[Republican Extremist]

During WW2

Belgium
Poland
Egypt
Libya

[boxerblues]

hey Joe its time for your meds

[brownsfan]

So what the h*ll are we doing in Iraq then? Why would we want to take on the task of civilizing a bunch of animals? It's not worth the sacrifice.

Well, I think it's an issue of taking the fight to them, rather than allowing them to bring it to us. KSM has revealed there would have been more attacks if we hadn't reacted decisively to 9/11. If we pull back, they'll regroup and come here. Remember, they hate you and me simply because we are alive. They won't rest until we are either converted to Islam, and subjugated, or dead. And I think they prefer dead.
But, we can't be soft. Taking the fight to them means fighting, not being targets. We have to respond in the fashion Israel responds. Swift, and sure.
Bottom line is, even though it sucks to be fighting in Iraq, it's better to fight there than here.

[Centurion2000]

Machine gun the crowds doing this.

[Atlantic Friend]

No, we should kill everyone of the bloody bastards who fabricated the bomb, who planted the bomb, who surveyed the street for the bomber to do his dirty job, and who attacked any surviving soldiers inside the vehicle to finish them. Those who mutilated dead soldiers should be treated as ruled in martial law, which could end up with them getting shot.

As for Fallujah people who only went out to drink a tea, even if they rejoiced of the attack and think we Westerners are worthless scum, they're clean in my book. If hating Westerners and wishing them ill was crime, let's face it there wouldn't be anybody left in our own countries, since we're all expert enough in this pitiful field.

[Mr.Atos]

I am telling you, if this kind of crap in Iraq continues into November, then Mr. Bush has lost the election, IMHO.

... and don't you think that the enemy knows this? As with Spain, the Terrorists have selected their American Candidate; lest we need to ask Kerry who his foreign supporters are. They are the one's dragging murdered corpses through streets of Falujah, and coincidentally carrying burning ephigees of the President through downtown Portland.

We should give the American public some credit. They're not Spaniards.

Atos

[Joe Hadenuf]

Im a lair? and you can really need to attend more anger management classes

When it comes to mutilating human beings and AMERICANS you bet I'm angry. You'd be singing a WAY different tune if your phone rang and they told you it was your son that was burned, dragged through the f-ing streets, and hung from a bridge by these Iraqi civilians. I am confident, that phone call would ring your bell hard.

To: Fitzcarraldo "Will Kerry also "drag these corpses through the street" of public opinion? " I predict yes. Great Question.

Is that all you think of is politics? Screw Kerry damit. I could give a damn who may look bad over this. Sheesh!

Prayers for Civilians in Iraq,

I'll mark you down as supporting these murderous freaks and psycho religious fanatics.

[pitinkie]

Fox says all 4 were Americans.

[Mr.Atos]

Those are pretty good pictures of the murderous swine. Great facial recognition...

... for the snipers.

[Joe Hadenuf]

We just got that too.

[StoneColdGOP]

The Sunnis were the bad guys like Saddam oppressing the Shi'ites. Now they're all pissed at us.

Go figure.

How can you bring democracy to people who laugh and dance and sing when Americans are killed, incinerated and hung like decorations?

How do you civilize a nation that beats itself with chains and slashes itself with swords?

[TheDon]

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.

Beneath the bodies, a man held a printed sign with a skull and crossbones and the phrase "Fallujah is the cemetery for Americans."

A well staged event! Cameras, English signs, no law enforcement... It seems the Saddam loyalists are also Kerry supporters.

[StoneColdGOP]

I'd thought the other allies liberated them.