US executions in Iraq

[badinage]

Just came across this news story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/4643481.stm

Iraq's ambassador to the UN has demanded an inquiry into what he said was the "cold-blooded murder" of his young unarmed relative by US marines.
...
In a letter to colleagues, Mr Sumaidaie explained in detail what happened to his cousin Mohammed al-Sumaidaie on 25 June in the village of al-Sheikh Hadid.

He said Mohammed, an engineering student, was visiting his family home when some 10 marines with an Egyptian interpreter knocked on the door at 1000 local time.

He opened the door to them and was "happy to exercise some of his English", said the ambassador.

When asked if there were any weapons in the house, Mohammed took the marines to a room where there was a rifle with no live ammunition.

It was the last the family saw him alive. Shortly after, another brother was dragged out and beaten and the family was ordered to wait outside.

As the marines left "smiling at each other" an hour later, the interpreter told the mother they had killed Mohammed, said Mr Sumaidaie.

"In the bedroom, Mohammed was found dead and laying in a clotted pool of his blood. A single bullet had penetrated his neck."

The US military said the allegations "roughly correspond to an incident involving coalition forces on that day and in that general location".

Presumably this kind of thing is happening on a daily basis, but only becomes headline news when its a relative of a VIP

[mbari hogun]

American war criminals should be punished and punished severely. How will the Coalition maintain any credibility if these men can get away with murder? I say hang the bastards.

[Wednesday]

Journalist killed after investigating US-backed death squads in Iraq

[Bogwarrior]

The Swiss Government are also, today calling for an investigation , after one of it's citizens,(a Kurd), was shot dead by American gunmen in Baghdad. I would say more civilians are being killed daily by gung ho yanks than suicide bombs, only were just not hearing about it.
It's also been said a lot of the civilian deaths in Resistance bomb attacks, happen when troops wildly open fire afterwards.

[Risteard]

I say hang the bastards.

That's not very socialist of you. Then again, neither is your support for the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq.

[mjcoughlan]

Just came across this news story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/4643481.stm

Iraq's ambassador to the UN has demanded an inquiry into what he said was the "cold-blooded murder" of his young unarmed relative by US marines.
...
In a letter to colleagues, Mr Sumaidaie explained in detail what happened to his cousin Mohammed al-Sumaidaie on 25 June in the village of al-Sheikh Hadid.

He said Mohammed, an engineering student, was visiting his family home when some 10 marines with an Egyptian interpreter knocked on the door at 1000 local time.

He opened the door to them and was "happy to exercise some of his English", said the ambassador.

When asked if there were any weapons in the house, Mohammed took the marines to a room where there was a rifle with no live ammunition.

It was the last the family saw him alive. Shortly after, another brother was dragged out and beaten and the family was ordered to wait outside.

As the marines left "smiling at each other" an hour later, the interpreter told the mother they had killed Mohammed, said Mr Sumaidaie.

"In the bedroom, Mohammed was found dead and laying in a clotted pool of his blood. A single bullet had penetrated his neck."

The US military said the allegations "roughly correspond to an incident involving coalition forces on that day and in that general location".

Presumably this kind of thing is happening on a daily basis, but only becomes headline news when its a relative of a VIP

Lets hope there is an inquiry into this and that justice is served. Lets not forget also the innocent people in Iraq who were there to help rebuild the country who are being held captive facing the prospect of being beheaded by Islamist terrorists.

[Carrier]

Nice bit of whataboutery from mj there. Well done. Not at all predictable.

[mjcoughlan]

Nice bit of whataboutery from mj there. Well done. Not at all predictable.

Just adding a bit of balance. I don't deny that some actions undertaken by Allied soldiers in Iraq are deplorable and yes, people should be outraged when it appears there is no justice. Similarly, it ought not be startling for someone to express outrage at the actions of terrorist groups in Iraq who do not want a normal functioning democracy in that country and go around taking people hostage and beheading them. I feel that is also deplorable, don't you?

[mbari hogun]

I say hang the bastards.

That's not very socialist of you. Then again, neither is your support for the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Ah, I see Risteard has become an authority on Marx and Engels.

Anyhow, how is it "unsocialist" to support strict standards relating to the conduct of soldiers? If America is to be taken seriously in its war against fascistic terror groups (and states), it needs to show that it actually intends to punish those who harm innocent Iraqis.

These mistakes and cold-blooded murders are the exception in Iraq, not the rule. Without a clear message from the Coalition authorities, these incidents will become more and more frequent. The wrist-slapping given to the Abu Ghraib torturers has already shown abusers of human rights that they can go almost unpunished for their crimes. They should've been (at least) imprisoned for life, and those who allowed it to happen should've (at least) been forced to resign.

[Carrier]

Just adding a bit of balance.

No, you were trying to divert attention from what these scumbags did by bringing up beheadings. Yes beheadings are bad, but they have not been short of attention, especially on this site:

http://www.politics.ie/forum/viewtop...light=beheaded

http://www.politics.ie/forum/viewtop...light=beheaded

http://www.politics.ie/forum/viewtop...light=beheaded

This thread is the first time I have heard these exectutions mentioned.