There’s some sad breaking news on CNN:
An Iraq Defense Ministry spokesman says two U.S. soldiers missing since Friday have been found dead, Reuters reports.U.S. military authorities in Baghdad told CNN they could not confirm the report.
I hope that the military briefed the families before the Iraqis and media released this information.
The BBC reports the location:
Spokesman Gen Abdul Aziz Mohammed said the bodies were found in the Yusifiya area. The US military has not yet confirmed the statement.
Pvt. Tucker’s family released a recording of his last phone call home. You can listen to it here.
“Be proud of me Mom, I’m defending my country. Tell sis and my nephews hello for me, I’m OK, I’m on my way.”
Damn.
ABC is reporting military confirmation while CNN is reporting that the military has confirmed the recovery of two yet to be identified bodies. Either way it doesn’t look good.
More details on the location from ABC News:
Maj. Gen. Abdul-Aziz Mohammed said the bodies were found on a street near a power plant in the town of Youssifiyah, just south of Baghdad. U.S. Maj. Doug Powell said he could not confirm the report.
On Outside the Beltway we learn that the news, via The Washington Post, gets worse:
Maj. Gen. Abdul Aziz Muhammed-Jassim, head of operations at Iraqi Ministry of Defense said the soldiers had been “barbarically” killed and that there were traces of torture on their bodies. He offered no further details.
I suspect that the enemy would have liked to drag this out longer but there was too much pressure placed on them by the rescue effort. It’s hard to believe but this could have lasted much longer and been worse for our troops.
The U.S. military has scheduled a press conference for 4 p.m. Baghdad time (8 a.m. ET).
Do you think the world will be outraged by the way insurgents treat their prisoners? Don’t hold your breath waiting for outrage. In fact, don’t expect any reaction at all.
Michelle Malkin points to a critical relative:
An uncle of one of the soldiers is criticizing the government. Newsbusters has more.
The uncle’s comments:
MacKenzie said the government should have offered a $100 million reward and offered to exchange mujahideen detainees for the soldiers’ lives. It seized enough money from Saddam Hussein to afford it, he said.
I can understand his desperation. I’d probably have the same thoughts running through my head if this had happened to someone in my family. That said it’s also a bad idea, as Lee notes, that would put our troops at even greater risk.
Michelle also has a warning:
The murders of these brave soldiers by desperate terrorists will be used to bolster the flailing cut-and-run brigade’s agenda.
Cindy Sheehan incoming….
Richard at Hyscience has a nice big STFU for the Left:
To all of you Leftist bastards out there, don’t EVER say another damned word about Abu Ghraib, Gitmo, or any U.S. treatment of terrorist prisoners.
Sadly, the critics will ignore decades (centuries really) of radical Islamic savagery and say we brought this on ourselves.
John Hinderaker takes on Menchaca’s uncle:
In a sick coda, Menchaca’s uncle, Ken MacKenzie, appeared on the Today show and recited weirdly inapplicable Democratic Party talking points in relation to his own nephew’s death.…No Shame.
While the Hotline calls him out for going overboard:
Some, though, can go overboard. An otherwise good day was made melancholy by news this a.m. that two kidnapped soldiers in Iraq had been found dead, and, according to preliminary reports, their bodies had been treated in horrible ways. One of the soldiers’ family members mentioned to CNN that he thought the U.S. should pay the kidnap ransom with money taken from Saddam Hussein’s treasury. One blogger decided that today was the day to call that family member out for having “no shame.” We might suggest that person look in the mirror.
Almost everyone in the ’sphere has gone overboard at one point or another. We wish someone would have the guts to say they were wrong and apologize. Today might be a good day to start.
As I said before I don’t agree with Pvt. Menchaca’s uncle but I’m not really worried about calling him on it today. His initial frustration is understandable. He isn’t in Sheehan territory yet. At least not with me.
Jeff Goldstein fires two sarcastic barrels at the Left’s tired assertion that “we asked for it”:
But make no mistake: had U.S. military guards not flushed Korans down Gitmo toilets (I know, I know. But let’s pretend they did), these two soldiers would have been treated in accordance to the Geneva Convention. For instance, Nick Berg’s head was only asked its name, rank, and serial number once it was sawed from its body by a now-dead terror leader who was practically invented by the US; and Daniel Pearl’s head is still being fed three meals a day and allowed to play ping pong and go for nice long walks around the terror compound in the wilds of Pakistan, if you can believe the glowing reports from Human Rights Watch. So don’t you go believing any of this garbage, which is likely just empty bravado—and doesn’t express how al Qaeda really treats its captives. To whom they provide dates and sesame candies, and women with sinfully painted toenails who dance for them like Salome.
Curt at Flopping Aces on Murtha:
Interesting that the traitor Murtha is not screaming about “murder” now huh? He was all over the news shows, getting as much publicity as he could while he walked over the Marines. But now that two of our soldiers were tortured and killed, not a sound.
Pathetic.
I couldn’t agree more.
The next bit is disturbing. Some of you may wish to skip it.
al-Zarqawi’s replacement reportedly murdered the two soldiers using the same barbaric technique we’ve seen before:
The new leader of al-Qaida in Iraq killed two U.S. soldiers whom the group abducted last week, an insurgent umbrella group said in a Web statement posted Tuesday.The statement, which could not be authenticated, said the two soldiers were “slaughtered,” suggesting they had been beheaded by Abu Hamza al- Muhajer. The Arabic word used in the statement, “nahr,” is used for the slaughtering of sheep by cutting the throat and has been used in past statements to refer to beheadings.
No word on video yet. I hope we don’t see one but unfortunately that’s probably one of the primary reasons they were captured and killed in this manner.
Menchaca’s family comments and confirms that the soldiers were beheaded:
Mario Vasquez, Menchaca’s uncle, said Army officials had told the family early this morning that the bodies of two uniformed soldiers had been found, both of them beheaded. He said the Army would be conducting DNA tests, but the family believes the men were Menchaca and Tucker.“They’re not sure it’s him, but we don’t know of any other (missing) soldiers they have,'’ said Vasquez.
“This is bad news,'’ said the soldier’s aunt Mariaelena Garcia.
And blogger Dan Riehl has a few choice words for Andrew Sullivan. Well, one choice word to be exact.
Hot Air leads us to more sickening news:
The sources said the two men had suffered severe trauma.The bodies also had been desecrated and a visual identification was impossible — part of the reason DNA testing was being conducted to verify their identities, the sources said.
A tip from Iraqi civilians led officials to the bodies, military sources told CNN. The discovery was made about 7:30 p.m. Monday.
Not only were the bodies booby-trapped, but homemade bombs also lined the road leading to the victims, an apparent effort to complicate recovery efforts and target recovery teams, the sources said.
And if you needed more proof that Markos Moulitsas Zuniga’s (Daily Kos) moral compass is broken he dished it up today:
There’s a reason the Geneva Conventions exist. We’ve lost the moral high ground. What a fucking waste of a war.
I’ve just posted video of Thomas Tucker’s family speaking about their son and an address where you can send condolences.
Related:
DoD Names Missing Soldiers: Pvt. Kristian Menchaca and Pvt. Thomas Tucker
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June 20th, 2006 at 11:54 am
Two Missing U.S. Soldiers Found Dead in Iraq
Sad news this Tuesday via Washington Post
The two U.S. soldiers missing since an attack on a checkpoint last week were found dead near a power plant in Yusifiyah, south of Baghdad, according to an Iraqi defense official.
General Abdul Aziz Muhammed…
June 20th, 2006 at 12:30 pm
Two kidnapped soldiers found dead in Iraq
The Washington Post is reporting that the two Army soldiers kidnapped last week by terrorists in Iraq have been found dead:BAGHDAD, July 20–Two U.S. soldiers missing since an attack on a checkpoint last week have been found dead near a
June 20th, 2006 at 12:35 pm
Missing Soldiers Bodies Recovered
Update: More information at Blogs of War - the military confirms bodies found, but not confirming ID. Looks like possibly the WaPo didn’t wait for the families to be notified. Below an image, ABC is stating what many feared, that
June 20th, 2006 at 12:46 pm
BREAKING: Kidnapped Soldiers Found Dead
Sad news. The two Pfcs kidnapped from a dangerous checkpoint in the so-called “Triangle of Death” have been reportedly found by Iraqi civilians. Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25 may be dead.
Not much detail, but I will up…
June 20th, 2006 at 12:48 pm
Map of The Triangle of Death
ABC is reporting that the US military is confirming the Iraqi report and CNN says the military has found two bodies that they have not yet identified. The attack is said to have taken place in Yusufiyah, 20 miles southwest of Baghdad, but that is incor…
June 20th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
MISSING SOLDIERS FOUND DEAD
They were “barbarically” killed, according to the Washington Post. Allah has more–and notes that the next of kin have yet to be notified. Keep them in your prayers. An uncle of one of the soldiers is criticizing the government….
June 20th, 2006 at 1:54 pm
U.S. Soldiers Missing In Iraq - Murdered By Terrorist Captors (Updated)
To all you Leftist bastards out there, don’t EVER say another damned word about Abu Ghraib, Gitmo, or any U.S. treatment of terrorist prisoners. Our missing U.S. soldiers were tortured and murdered in cold blood by the terrorists that captured them. M…
June 20th, 2006 at 4:55 pm
Bodies of Missing Soldiers Reportedly Found
My thoughts and prayers are with the souls of these brave men and the families they leave behind.
June 20th, 2006 at 5:34 pm
Kidnapped Soldiers Found
No one, no country, is safe from terrorism. This is a world war and until these countries understand this they will continue to become victims.
Interesting that the traitor Murtha is not screaming about “murder” now huh? He was all over t…
June 20th, 2006 at 6:25 pm
I am so tired of comments like “I understand his desperation.” I may have compassion for his grief but I have a hell of a lot more compassion for the young man who died. He thought he was performing in a noble cause so why should we even care what his uncle thinks? He should be incensed that his nephew was tortured and probably beheaded, not at the US but at the slime who did it. We should all be calling for blood.
June 20th, 2006 at 9:51 pm
My god..those poor bastards were tortured horribly, I hear. It reminds me of stories about the Cong, and how they’d cut the heads off dead Americans and put a black man’s head on a white body and vice versa.
I hope photos of the bodies are posted on Ogrish soon. Seeing that kind of horror drives home the point that war is for real.
Watching Al-Qaeda videos of Americans being killed by sniper attacks and explosions should be required viewing for all americans, to help steel our resolve.
Semper Fi!
June 21st, 2006 at 12:14 am
Here’s some food for thought that continues to bother me concerning these soldiers killed. First of all, the only hummv that took casualties contained a specialist and two privates. Now anyone who knows anything about the military knows that something is severely wrong with that picture. And the specialist was the driver, so that means that the vehicle commander was a PRIVATE! Make no mistake, I am an Iraqi veteran with two purple hearts and a year’s worth of experience as a leader, so I know wrong when I see it. Three vehicles on a combat patrol, one vehicle suffered casualties, no sergeant or officer in the vehicle, responsible for making those life-saving decisions that keep our young soldiers alive in battle. Where was the mandatory ‘react to ambush’ battle drill that every military leader is fully aware of, within the patrol. These murders could have, and should have, been prevented! Someone in the chain of command failed these three soldiers, and the enemy saw opportunity and took it. Hopefully questions are being asked.
June 21st, 2006 at 2:50 am
Why do we continue to fight a war with our “rules of engagement” when our enemy has none.
I served with the 101st Airborne in Vietnam and feel an attachment to all our service men - expecially my fellow members of the Screaming Eagles who lost their lives at the hands of a terrible - ruthless enemy. lk
June 21st, 2006 at 7:41 am
This terrible tragedy makes me want to recommend a liberal application of Goldwater solution to the asshats who murdered these fine men. Oh, hell. To the whole god-forsaken country.
June 21st, 2006 at 8:31 pm
ANY THING RELATED TO OUR TROOPS POSSIBLY DOING ANYTHING TO SOMEONE ELSE MAKES THE NEWS FOR DAYS…YET THE TORTURE AND DISHONOR THESE TWO YOUNG MEN..SUFFERED.. GOES WITHOUT THE UTMOST OUTRAGE THAT SHOULD BE FLASHED ACROSS EVERY AMERICANS SCREEN BY THE MINUTE TO LET THEM KNOW WHO WE ARE DEALING WITH ON THE BATTLE FIED..THIS COUNTRY NEEDS TO STOP THE POLITICS AND TAKE THIS FIGHT TO THEM WITH OVER WHELMING FORCE.. NO MERCY.. I WOULD PUT 500,OOO COMBAT TROOPS ON THE GROUND. AND POLICE THE GROUND FROM ONE END OF THAT COUNTRY TO THE NEXT..POLITICS AND POLLS BE DAMBED.. IT’S TIME TO GRAB OURSELVES BY THE BALLS AS A COUNTRY AND TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS.. IMAGINE BEING HOW WE ARE TODAY DURING WWII… WE WOULD NOT BE SAYING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE… YOU CAN BET YOUR SWEET CANDY ASS JOHN KERRY’S ON THAT ONE..
June 21st, 2006 at 8:56 pm
The dreaded news as always. How horrible its just unimaginable. Life means nothing to these people. What kind of mother do these terrorists have?. Could you imagine your child growing up and becoming one of these sick bastards. They should arrest there family for producing such worthless people. These people need sent to the firey furness ASAP
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:12 am
Ladies and Gents,
Love all your comments and agree 100%.
Logical arguments are the only form of defense with the political left. As for the terrorist who believe there cause is just, I would reiterate that there is no sense in debating with irrational human beings
Vent, rant, rave, re-group, and fire our position with confidence and certainty. I learned long ago that the left avoids any logical path of reason and diverts the listeners to emotional appeals.
I also feel sickened by the obvious however, urge you to fight irrational and illogical arguments with sound judgment, principled values, and relentless precision.
These arguments may not change the minds of the foolish but will open the eyes of the wise.
- KAT Karen A. Trevett
June 22nd, 2006 at 12:15 pm
Two wrongs don’t make a right people. I can’t believe that intelligent people would advocate breaking with civilization to sink to the level of these people (read: Abu Gharib was ok since they did this). If you want to fight fire with fire you might as well all become savages like these people. The only way we’re going to win this thing is with intelligence and force, but NOT by putting the years of civilization behind us that have made us the great nation we are. Anyone willing to do this is short-sighted and mistaking emotion for good judgement.
June 27th, 2006 at 9:40 pm
Gee, that’s really too bad - two GIs were tortured and killed. Months before, I remember seeing an Iraqi girl of 11 or 12 carried by her mother, burnt over most of her body from American ordiance turned away from medical treatment. Why was that any less torture (at the hands of Americans?)
Shit happens in war, and maybe the next time a liar or incompetant politician (take your choice), like King George, sends troops in on a fabricated pretext to rob for the benefit of him and his “rich and richer” cronies, people on this board should ask themselves “is it really worth the horrible things that war unleashes?” And, if you say “yes,” then suck it up and stop your whining.
June 28th, 2006 at 2:04 pm
A man of 46, I wept for the two honored soldiers and their families this morning; I can NOT imagine the grief and the despair of the families; my heart is heavy considering this matter, the war, the lives and precious blood given to protect US, Americans. Lest any seemingly forget, PRECIOUS BLOOD continues to flow to keep US, FREE. So, FREEDOM is NOT free. It is priceless. Thank you, military men. Thank you.
June 28th, 2006 at 2:34 pm
I most humbly apologize; THANK YOU MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN; THANK YOU.
June 30th, 2006 at 10:58 pm
One Israeli soldier kidnapped and the Israeli army is bringing an entire country to its knees.
I have to read a blog and the rants of fellow pissed off Americans to get news about the torture and beheadings of two of our bravest? Are you kidding me?
It seems that the DNA that born farmers and merchants to dismantle one of the world’s great militaries; the British, and the “Greatest” generation to over power a superior German and Japanese military has been removed.
Is our leadership so neutered that they continue to allow the desecration of our warriors without reprisal? I’m sick of it. I’m sick of fairness. The New York Times can kiss my ass. Screw the Supreme Court. Murtha should be ashamed. I can’t stand seeing our marines drug though the streets of Somalia, blown to pieces in Yemen, burned in Felluja and now beheaded in Yusifiya. Where is the cry of revenge? Where is our President? How come nobody is saying anything but the average American?
Ghengis Khan didn’t own 12 million square miles of earth by being a good salesman.
July 2nd, 2006 at 5:21 am
You liberal scum need to get your heads out of your asses and smell the Starbucks coffee you drink on a daily basis. The enemy doesn’t care about you or your views. They only want you dead. Those brave soldiers who perished at the hands of those monsters can at least rest in peace. May God bless their souls and their families. I’m sure their buddies in Iraq want blood. No American soldier deserves that horrific treatment. I’m just sick and tired that this great country of ours has idiots like Murtha, Kerry, and Shehan talking as if their words actually mean something. The media in this country sucks! Long live FOX for giving us more than the usual America is bad reporting. I’m done. Long live the 101st!
July 11th, 2006 at 4:12 am
I wasn’t going to add anything here until I read Bob Roberson’s comment. Your vile flippant remarks about the torture and murder of our soldiers by the enemy/your friends makes it absolutely clear to anyone who has read them that you are the enemy. You and your fellow trash in this country will reap what you sow, and will not drag the rest of us to the self-destruction you thirst for at the hands of the enemy. This has nothing to do with the president, and everything to do with your hatred for strong young men who have courage and loyalty to duty and fellow soldiers.
“Shit happens in war” … your quote. That remark alone in reference to the torture and murder of our two POW’s shows that you don’t know a damn thing about war. If you had one ounce of humanity within you, which leftist rats never do, you could never use the horrific and painful death of two of our own countrymen to illustrate your hatred of the president and our country. You are the enemy within.
July 14th, 2006 at 6:39 am
can someone tell me why the hell are we in iraq anyway? 130,000 troops. and for what reason? no weapons of mass destruction, no terrorist training camps, no taliban harbouring osama and no 911 connection. why? why? why? i’m sorry but a safer iraq does not mean a safer usa. i hate that saddam kills his own people but the price has been too high for the u.s. to remove him. troops are being killed everyday over a useless war. billions of dollars are being spent to finance this joke. new orleans and the gulf coast looks like ground zero. this war that is not winnable becasue we are fighting a faceless enemy who hides behind a building and shoots our troops. an enemy who plants ied’s. there is always going to be a suicide bomber willing to blow him/her up for the name of allah. i’m soooooooooo tired of turning on the news and hearing that another troop has been killed. bush, rumsfeld, and cheaney should all be somehow held accountable for this mess.
July 15th, 2006 at 10:40 pm
War is Brutal…that’s why responsible nations try to prevent them. These US soldier died a brutal death, as well as that poor Iraq girl who was raped and murderer by US soldiers. Yes, Saddam is gone but the World is NOT any safer. North Korea wants to launch a Nuclear on America and Bush is ignoring the situation. It’s better to leave Iraq and forget about those dead Americans. Just bury the dead…n’ famous quote from Tony Soprano “forget about it”…or anger and hate will continue this blood shed.
October 2nd, 2006 at 7:19 pm
When we have a new 9/11 maybe in D.C. maybe just maybe the ney sayers will wake up. I hate to say this but some don’t realize we are in world war III.
October 19th, 2006 at 6:42 am
hahaha. You stupid american pigs will move outta iraq with your pants down. Just wait and see…. I knew it from day one. Can’t wait to see it unfold.
What an ungly inbread nation it has become. I feel sorry for the few good people left over there. Your greed will make you eat yourselves.
December 30th, 2006 at 4:30 pm
I find myself in the awkward, but resolute position of hating this war and supporting those who fight it. This war is something history will sort out. I have some beliefs about how, what and why, but they’re mine. They don’t have to be yours.
The biggest crime in Iraq; War profiteering. I won’t say barbarity goes with war. It’s rarely preventable. The way the Administration has extended, deprived, and coerced the troops, barbarity is the most civil respose you could expect.
And yet is rare. Most Americans serve, fight, and sometimes die with a diginty and devition we could all aspire to. Those are the guys I won’t question. I’m not there. I know I really, really wanted to live, wayback then. A lot of the rules seemed stupid and self destructive. Yet we gave it all we had.
You guys are doing that too. And, as the old saying goes, “All you can do is all you can do.”
But I gotta really ask myself why Haliburton is getting all those no-bid contracts. Where is the money going? Who is getting all that money? The GI’s got a pay cut. Benefits were cut. Yet the ten top MI corps more than doubled the multi-million dollar salaries of their execs during the Bush/Cheeney admin.
Why? They never bled. They never led. They just raked in the billions and smiled all the way to the bank.
End of message
R
January 3rd, 2007 at 3:19 pm
I find it interesting the outrage that some people here express over the amount of coverage that this event got compared to Abu Graib. Some of you see a ‘liberal’ conspiracy here, when in fact it has nothing to do with left or right. We expect terrorists to do this sort of thing. Their acts are always barbaric. They’ve been doing it for decades. It’s not news. It’s terrible yes, but not unexpected, so it doesn’t get much play. When we do similar things, it does get more exposure because were not supposed to do it. Were supposed to be the good guys, so it is news when one or more of our soldiers acts like a barbarian. There’s also not much we can do about it right now. We don’t know and it’s real difficult to find out who exactly did this to our soldiers. With Abu Graib, it was pretty simple to figure out who was responsible, so as time went on, we found out more and the story stayed in the news. So sorry, no leftist conspiracy here.
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:11 am
the whole situation is a complete mess, and clearly take decades to sort out….there is talk of leaving, but there is a responsibility to stay. All the while innocents lose their lives. The world is no safer post Sadam.