July 03, 2007

Michael Yon: Islamic State of Iraq/al-Qaeda Atrocitys

My apologies for not picking this up earlier. Michael Yon is embedded with US forces in Baqubah. They are coming across all kinds of evidence of al-Qaeda in Iraq's brutal treatment of the Iraqi people.

Mr. Yon is concerned that these war crimes by the enemy are being ignored by the main stream media. I can understand his frustration, we have been exposing these types of crimes for years.

I heard a report on NPR's ATC this afternoon that included some information on torture houses and bodies found in the wake of al-Qaeda's retreat. Hopefully more outlets are taking notice and these war crimes will the attention in the media they deserve. About a thousand times more than that other story.

Via Michael Yon: Since the publication of “Bless the Beasts and Children” many questions have arisen: some of which I can and will answer here, and some whose answers lie elsewhere.

Today, late afternoon on 3 July in Baqubah, Colonel Hiduit from 2nd Brigade 5th Iraqi Army was able to provide some additional details about the murders, as the ongoing investigation begins to yield more facts. The name of the village was not on any maps I examined while preparing the dispatch, but Colonel Hiduit said the name is al Hamira. Coordinates to the area of the gravesites are MC 679 381.

In my dispatch, I reported that six people were killed, but mentioned that Iraqi soldiers were still digging out bodies when I left. A few hours ago, Colonel Hiduit put the number at 10-14, and said the search for bodies had ended. I made video of the graves, bodies and of interviews with Iraqi and American soldiers while we still were at the scene and have been working to make material from this available on this website.

Hat Tip: Instapundit

By Howie at 07:39 PM | |