Marines free 123 from Iraq hellhole (UNBELIEVABLE Alert!)

Straights Times ^ | 4/15/03 | Derwin Pereira

[Steven W.]

FOR three days, American tanks have been shelling a military intelligence building in the posh Al-Khathamia area in west Baghdad.

The dozen or so tanks are not here to pound intransigent fighters but to break down concrete beams and steel, to reach bunkers deep underground at the Al-Istikhbarat Al-'Askariya facility.

The Marines found 123 prisoners, including five women, barely alive in an underground warren of cells and torture chambers.

Being trapped underground probably kept them safe from the bombing of Baghdad by the coalition.

Severely emaciated, some had survived by eating the scabs off their sores. All the men had beards down to their waists, said onlookers.

Most looked absolutely dazed when they emerged, said Mr Sadoun Mohamed, 37, who lives in the area.

'They had not seen sunlight for a long time,' he said. 'They kept blinking and covering their faces.' He said they were taken to the Saddam Hospital for treatment.

Their names were posted on the walls of the Al-Hajabehia Mosque in west Baghdad, as were names of some 40 others known to have been executed or murdered in prison.

Hundreds of anxious locals wait for word of their family, relatives and friends, some of whom were taken away more than 10 years ago.

Outside Al-Istikhbarat Al-'Askariya, Mr Sadeq Al Saeed, 24, a construction worker, has been waiting sleepless for the last 36 hours. He said he had heard the facility had five levels below ground.

He said his father, an Iraqi army captain, was killed in 1991 during the first Gulf War, and his cousins Amer and Jasem and some 50 others were picked out by the secret police for chanting anti-Saddam slogans during the funeral procession.

'That was the last I saw of them,' he said.

'In the night, people raided their houses, blindfolded them and took them away.'

He hopes against hope that the Marines will be able to find his cousins, who were brought here to be interrogated.

This hellhole is believed to be one of many for Iraq's political prisoners. Thousands may still be behind bars though the regime released many criminals from prisons before the war.

The United States soldiers at Al-Istikhbarat Al-'Askariya would not say what they were doing there. Their tanks blocked the entrance.

This place could be part of the labyrinth of underground facilities which might still shelter regime members.

Under one palace, a German-designed 1,900 sq m bunker was built at a cost of US$90 million (S$160 million) with luxurious accommodation for the Iraqi President, his family, their bodyguards and staff.

More than 24 bunkers were identified 12 years ago. There may be more now, located under schools, hospitals, even mosques, and linked together.

The security police, or Da'irat Al-Mukhabbarat Al-'Amma; Iraqi Intelligence Service; and military intelligence, also built cells and tunnels underground.

Taxi driver Hathem Ejam, 36, said Mr Saddam's older son Uday, also used them for his harem discards.

Relaying widely-believed rumours, he said: 'He would pick any young girl he liked from the street, rape her, shave her head bald and then get his guards to dump her in an underground cell.'

[the Deejay]

"Oh, God. Help us understand this. "

When one gets hungry enough, one will eat anything. (Gross as it may seem to us who have plenty of food at hand everyday.)

[Free Trapper]

Demonic-pure evil

[csvset]

Yes, the beards of Sadam's prisoners are at least this long.

[billhilly]

Look at those eyes. Do you see anything there? The picture of Ted Turner.

[Dec31,1999]

An apology from the left? You don't GET apologies from the left! LOL!

Good comment, though!

[Brad’s Gramma]

I'm NOT going to do some fancy schmancy fundraiser thing on this thread, but please go over and at least bump the thread, if you can't afford to give.

Jim & John and the whole crew do so much for us. Sorry to butt in but it's SO NEAR THE END! Thanks.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/893079/posts?page=504

[rocknotsand]

Always remember that France said "Let them eat cake." And so did the socialist outfit called the UN.
Continental europe is socialist central as well. And -I bet London to a brick- that both Klintons said it as well.

God help the Godless.

[Dec31,1999]

I can't wait to see this in the newspaper tomorrow- I hope this one-newspaper city's liberal rag Hartford Courant will run it.

Well, don't hold your breath! The Liberal media only reports stuff like this when they have no choice. Does this story have legs?

Mhking, could you put this on your ping lists please, if you think it's worthy?

[11th Earl of Mar]

Or is it something being made up or exagerated by an irreputable source?

My thoughts exactly. What is the "Straights Times?"

[MEG33]

I would love to see this in a source I am familiar with.I recoil at the horror but love thinking so many were rescued.

[goodnesswins]

They are out of Singapore....but getting to their site takes me too much time....I've seen them quoted before...

[Nita Nupress]

According to Dan Rather, the prison torture hell hole was just a protective bunker and the men released by our marines are running amock, looting sores and scabs to fill their bellies. The consequences of our troops may result in scab looting accross all of Baghdad.

ROTFLOL!

[madison10]

STRAITS Times not "Straights" Times. Did you bother to click the above link? Looks plenty legit. Newspaper of the Asia/Pacific Region.

[deadhead]

"The Liberal media only reports stuff like this when they have no choice."

The stinking liberal media, what saddens me is people read these papers and nothing else. I have a friend who only ever reads a liberal paper on L.I. ;-), not much into politics. I started sending her articles from other sources. She called me one day and said, "I don't feel like an ostrich anymore" Now she lurks at Free Republic

[BagCamAddict]

"some had survived by eating the scabs off their sores."
Oh, God. Help us understand this.

One of our own American POWs said he also did this in the 1991 Gulf War.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

(^;

[doug from upland]

Shame, shame, shame on the left. Brave soldiers and the determination of a great leader have freed a nation from Satan himself.

[Aggie Mama]

BTTT

[FirstFlaBn]

Despite the headline, those aren't Marines. Look at the shoulder patch on the guy leaning over the entrance - 3rd Infantry Divison. (The Marines are doing their fine work on the other side of the river). Just more uninformed media types.

[Dec31,1999]

I just went there, but I have no idea whether it's reputable or not or if the story is true or not. I've never heard of this publication before.

I've yet to have reason to believe or disbelieve this story, but with a slant toward believing it. Why would some person or party fabricate it? Of course, I can think of reasons, but all in all, it seems genuine. Nonetheless, I reserve judgement.