Posted on 10/24/2004 2:08:34 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
The bodies of 49 Iraqi army soldiers have been found near the town of Baquba, north-east of Baghdad, according to police. The bodies were laid out in four rows with about 12 bodies in each row, Gen Walid Al-Assawi, commander of the Diyala provincial police, has said.
"After inspection, we found out that they were shot after being ordered to lie down on the earth," he said.
Thirty-seven bodies were found on Saturday, and another 12 on Sunday.
The article I read (linked from Drudge) said they were unarmed.
Thanks!
I bet they will still be standing in line to volunteer, they have after being repeatedly bombed as they sign up to free their country.
By The Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The bodies of about 50 Iraqi soldiers were found on a remote road in eastern Iraq, apparently the victims of an ambush as they were heading home on leave, Iraqi authorities said Sunday. Also, a State Department security officer was killed during a mortar or rocket attack at a U.S. base near the Baghdad airport
Interior Ministry spokesman Adnan Abdul-Rahman said the Iraqi soldiers were believed to have been killed about sundown Saturday on a road about 95 miles east of Baghdad near the Iranian border.
There were conflicting reports on the exact number of dead, whether they were members of the Iraqi army or the Iraqi National Guard and whether they were all killed execution-style.
Iraqi government spokeswoman Maha Malik quoted witnesses as saying insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades at about two vehicles carrying the unarmed troops.
Gen. Walid al-Azzawi, commander of the Diyala provincial police, said the bodies were laid out in four rows each, with 12 bodies in each row.
"After inspection, we found out that they were shot after being ordered to lay down on the earth," he said.
Al-Azzawi said he believed the soldiers had been training at the Kirkush military camp northeast of Baghdad.
An Associated Press reporter on the scene reported seeing the burned frames of two minibuses. Blood stains were visible on the ground, along with human remains. Witnesses said the attackers stole some buses. Police said they had found 51 bodies from the attack place.
More at Yahoo News
Ohhh. Very sad.
The pre-Saddam army are now referred to as either Baathists or insurgents
Ah! The irony.
Saddam Hussein fills trenches with hundreds of thousands of bodies....his way of pacification.
The result? Two actually.
In Iraq, during Hussein's rule, an Iraqi could leave his doors unlocked. Crime was a...excuse me, a nuisance.
The other was that said pacification was called genocide and acts against humanity.
That said....I hope they start digging those trenches soon.
It is really very hard for some of us to trust the IDF leadership.
It is a major (domestic political) strategic error to fail to bring the hammer down in hopes of winning a few sucker moms.
If Fallujah was in ruins and bodies piled high in the streets of Baghdad, Bush would be up 15 points.
"People want to follow the strong horse"-a dead guy from Afghanistan.
Does anyone know the actual status under the Geneva Convention of "insurgent" guerilla type fighters. My assumption is that armed enemy combatants not in uniform engaging in hostile action are afforded no protection.
I think in World War II German army infiltrators were summarily executed when captured. I think the same was the case in the Civil War.
I would think also some one not in a military uniform who fires an AK-47 at an Iraqi soldier could simply be arrested for treason, a capital crime, tried and executed by civilian authorities.
I bet they change there policy and let the good guys go loaded 24/7.
These poor souls had no chance. They were all executed probably by 5-9 thugs.
No. They were tried under military tribunal...and then executed.
I don't understand why the families and friends of the slain "good" Iraqis don't get mad enough to turn the terrorist pigs in and bring a semblance of security to their country.
We'll never be able to exterminate all of them. That will take a much higher power.
Remember Malmédy.
I haven't gotten very far, but in the prologue, after saying that our invasion was totally justified for national security and anti-terrorist reasons, the author says that the Islamists relate our invasion to the Mongol invasion in the 1200s, and are attempting to apply the same strategies that led to the eventual victory over the invaders then.
It also tells of how and why Syria & Iran (and other countries) were helping Saddam before the war, and why several of the Arab countries were frightened of and opposed to our invasion.
Should be an interesting read, but currently makes me wonder if the "kill them all!" strategy (which would've been my response before I started the book) is the correct one or not.
Prayers for each and every one of these brave men and their families.
this is just too sad... that bunch of folks, trying to have a good life, trying to have a good job, and psychos continue to kill them, for NO OTHER REASON, than to murder and pillage... its just so maddening to me...
You're absolutely right about the need to tackle Fallujah and Sadr City. It has been our biggest mistake in the war so far, reverting to squishy State Department diplomacy and nicey-nicey gun buy-backs.
Why on earth are we giving these thugs a safe haven for making bombs and cutting off heads instead of allowing the Marines to crush them?
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