Cover-Up of Iraq Bridge Incident Admitted

[Barrett808]

Cover-Up of Iraq Bridge Incident Admitted
By ROBERT WELLER, Associated Press Writer

FORT CARSON, Colo. - Testifying under immunity, three U.S. Army commanders admitted Friday that soldiers were told to cover up an incident in which two Iraqi civilians were forced off a bridge into the Tigris River, where family members say one of them drowned. The commanders, however, said they don't believe anyone died, despite what the family and prosecutors say.

Capt. Matthew Cunningham said soldiers under his command admitted they forced the Iraqis to jump into the river last Jan. 3. He said the soldiers told him they had the Iraqis "get wet" and that "they wanted to make them miserable a little bit and walk home."

He said it was a bad decision, but that soldiers had to have non-lethal ways to make their presence felt in the area. He called the suggestion that anyone drowned a "smear campaign" and said soldiers saw the civilians getting out of the river safely.

Cunningham also testified that he and other commanders told the soldiers to clam up because they feared higher-ups in the chain of command would use the incident against them.

"We were not covering up anything that injured anybody," he said.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040730/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/soldiers_charged&cid=542&ncid=1480

[truth2power]

1. These US Commanders are beneath contempt.

I just want to know...are they included in the "troops" we are supposed to be supporting? Forcing someone to jump into a river and then minimizing the act by calling it "getting wet"?

My head is going to explode! :argh:

[daleo]

2. Just like the euphemisms for torturing prisoners

Letting off steam, fraternity hijinks...

[stickdog]

3. He never drowned.

He's just PINING!

[lottie244]

4. We are not and should not be proud of ALL our military.

Tell the truth, some are scum of the earth and make it bad for all those decent kids risking their lives for this evil regime.

[UpInArms]

5. here is a link to the healingiraq blog that was published on

January 12, 2004 regarding this incident:

http://healingiraq.blogspot.com/archives/2004_01_01_healingiraq_archive.html

Dear Sirs,

I write to you in a very distressed state of mind and that may burst my emotions and passions because of the weighty calamity that struck me and my husband after losing our oldest son who was at the tender age of nineteen years. He was looking forward with eyes full of hope and optimism to a bright and eventful future, especially after being engaged to marry a relative of his very recently. He moved forward with all his energy to build their future life with firm and confident steps. But Fate stood in his way and seized him unexpectedly leaving a bleeding wound in the hearts of his parents, his fiance, and his friends and family. Please allow me to tell you my story...

On Saturday the 3rd of January 2004, my son and his cousin were travelling back to our residence in Samarra, they were driving a small cargo truck belonging to a third party from which they earn their livelihood in a country torn by wars and sanctions. Yes, they were back from Baghdad yet misfortune followed them from the beginning, their car broke down on the road which caused a delay in their arrival to Samarra when the curfew hour was just about to start in the city...And this is where the first chapter of the tragedy takes place. An American army patrol stood in their way, and after they went through the whole procedure of searching my son and his cousin, and inspecting the cargo load, they tied them up both and led them to an area about three kilometres from the scene and...in front of one of the gates of the Tharthar dam where water flows at its strongest rate and to my son and his cousin's horror, they ordered them to jump into the water, it was midnight and the cold was unbearable, when they hesitated, they were pushed by the soldiers. Unfortunately my boy cannot swim, even though swimming at this time of the year wouldn't have helped. Yet my sons cousin survived miraculously after he got stuck in a tree branch to give us his account of this tragic event which could have went untold. He tried saving my son, but the water current was stronger than him...After days of search we found my sons jacket floating with the stream, it shall remain with me as a memory and a symbol of the injustice brought against him by soldiers of the United States of America's army, who came to our country under the banners of human rights and democracy only to send my son to his demise on his wedding days...

To document the incident, my son's name is Zaydun Ma'mun Fadhil Hassun Al- Samarrai, born in the 1st of June 1984...Yes, they killed him and they broke my heart, try to imagine that dear sirs and ask your wives how hard it is for a mother to see her fruit ripen only to be thrown by sinful hands and to be swept away without any mercy or humanity. Those soldiers have turned everything America has ever stood for into one big lie. I was a victim, and there are and will be many more.

And that is why I turn to you all and to your respected ladies. And especially to Mr. President George Bush to look into my case and order an investigation of the event. I know that anything you may do will not bring me back my boy, but I wish that the procedures may put an end to the suffering of Iraqi mothers, we are reaping misery every day from actions of American soldiers with no regard to our human life, our dignity, and our culture and values. Maybe the procedures will help me trust (again) the validity of those banners and mottos that fly high in American skies, those which we do not perceive in our country, but instead find their opposites. Maybe such an investigation will support the power of law and justice so that day may not come when the conscience of one of the murderers awakens and confesses to its deeds, which will make it then a responsibility on your great nation.

[Judi Lynn]

6. I've got to post the photo of the drowned man, from your link

He looks like one of the LAST people you'd ever want to harm. 19 years old, recently engaged, saving his money for his wedding.

What a damned shame.

[UpInArms]

8. the continual lies are breaking

what is left of my shattered heart.

:cry:

[shugah]

7. "We were not covering up anything that injured anybody"

then why cover it up?

:shrug: