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.

[Squantos]

Every troop in Iraq needs to descend upon that ville and kick in every door, toss every home, push, insult and degrade (if such is even possible with that iraqi trash) every man, woman and child. Break every thing of value....cars , eletronics, mechanical etc and demolition power, water and sewage and all roads, bridges and trails into that pile of human crap they call a town and let them understand that such will be met with medevil response from a superior force each and every time they don't police themselves and do such to GI's who "were" there to help them be free from Sad Ass Insane and his killin chillins. Peer pressure will solve that crap when "everyone " suffers from the acts of a few.

Some days ya just have to set the example to get long term result.............They want to act like animals then herd them like animals.

Stay safe !

[ClearBlueSky]

I'm RIGHT WITH YA, Joe!
We can't AFFORD to be highbrow and PC, our lives and civilization are being threatened.
I would pull every last American out of the MidEast and test a nice neutron bomb on Iraq. Right now! Without a moments hesitation or guilt.

[Humidston]

The BEST post I've seen on this thread. And, sadly, I couldn't agree more.

Those people have lived with barbarism all their lives and I wonder if a few "smacks" to the head with a 2x4 isn't the best way to get their attention.

[mathluv]

Has anyone heard from Allegra?

[optik_b]

Stuff like this makes me feel these people deserved Saddam

[Joe Hadenuf]

You are nothing more than a bigot with a bad attitude, not all Iraqis hate us.

Bigot eh? Call me what you will.

Not all Iraqis hate us huh? When they were mutilating our people in the streets, in broad day light, where were all the Iraqi civilians that love us? Where were these friends you speak of?

[Made In The USA]

This is a story everyone in America should see today. Even the horrible pictures of REALITY.

There needs to be some swift and VIOLENT, payback for this NOW.

There needs to be an honest assesment of whether or not this crappy piece of real estate can ever be salvaged and integrated into the rest of modern civilization. The cult o Isdum isn't helping turn that country around.

I'm just so sick of all the bloodshed in the name of Allah.

[mathluv]

We are in Iraq trying to protect OUR freedom, as well as offer freedom to the many Iraqis who are NOT like these animals.

I want to see what our response is.

[mathluv]

Dayside w/ Linda Vester is talking about this. Many comparisions are being made to Somalia, and how 'previous administrations' did nothing.

[boxerblues]

[txhurl]

they were shot with bullets rubbed in pork fat, and pork was put into their tombs. After that, according to the Freeper who posted it, the insurgency collapsed.

I've read of the efficacy of this several times.

[Cinnamon Girl]

I'm not referring to all Iraqis by any means.

[risen_feenix]

From another story:

"Witnesses said they saw anywhere between four and eight people in the cars before they were attacked."

The other four may have beent taken prisoner. If so, expect more brutal videos of their executions.

I pray those other four got away, or are already dead.

[Frapster]

Now what we need is NON-Somalia type reaction: go after them with a vengeance they'll never forget. No cutting and running a la Clinton.

agreed!

[sheik yerbouty]

Maybe we should simply just send them to Allah..

[BJungNan]

The temptation is to say, if these people are this sick, this stupid, this demented, then let's get the heck out and leave them to their squaller.

But, it is (1) in our interest because if these people are this sick they will be a nightmare if left to organize themselves and (2) there must be decent people in Iraq that are as repulsed by this as we are.

There are lower life forms on this planet and some of them are of the human species.

[Joe Hadenuf]

There needs to be an honest assesment of whether or not this crappy piece of real estate can ever be salvaged and integrated into the rest of modern civilization. The cult o Isdum isn't helping turn that country around.

Want an answer? Look no further than the endless punchfest and killing between the Jews and that Arabs. It's endless. They will always hate each other.

We are dealing with religious fanatics and savages with medivel minds.

There isn't going to be a normal Iraq or mideast. Their hate for American's is tattoed in their brains. The sooner we figure this out, the better.

Picture yourself, burning people to death, and beating their dead bodies with clubs, dragging their lifeless bodies through the streets, while little kids were pulling off pieces of their dead bodies, and then they hang what's left of their bodies them from bridges, in broad day light.

All this while no one came to the assistance of these poor people that were *brutally* murdered.

And we are going to democratize these psychos??

[Blue Scourge]

Yeah, I know what people do to American soldiers when they are captured. I've read enough about it to know that I would not want to be captured alive.

I agree that we removed a threat to us and our posterity, but it is one of our stated purposes in this operation to bring democracy and freedom to a people who have been oppressed by a dictator for decades.

I'm not here saying that we need to nation-build, but to say that is not what we are doing right now is wrong. I agree Saddam had to go, but we are also rebuilding their infrastructure and govt.

Is it the right thing to do? Time will tell, I only fear that it will be a even more bloody process than most realize. They (US Soldiers) have my prayers for safety and victory.

[Mr.Atos]

Did anyone else catch the tape that Hedgecock is playing on Limbaugh's show. We really need to find and post the transcripts and the NAME of that young lady, Rebecca! (International Socialist Organization)speaking at last week's anti-war rally in California.

Paraphrase... "our first strategy is that we need to support the resistance of Iraqi's to the occupation of Iraq... they are our allies!"

Lest we needed additional proof of the nature and scope of the enemy.

[Joe Hadenuf]

You are nothing more than a bigot with a bad attitude, not all Iraqis hate us.

Bigot eh? Call me what you will.

Not all Iraqis hate us huh? When they were mutilating our people in the streets, in broad day light, where were all the Iraqi civilians that love us? Where were these friends you speak of?

And you're response is posting a juvenile little picture of you flipping me off?

How, predictable.