Iraqi pilot laid to rest alongside Americans

[ECH1969]

CAPTAIN ALI ABASS of the Iraqi Air Force will today become the first citizen of his country to be buried with full military honours at the US National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

American and Iraqi officials are expected to attend when Captain Abass’s remains are laid to rest with a 21-gun salute and a fly over by air force jets. His remains could not be distinguished from those of the four US servicemen who died with him and all will be buried in a common grave.

The US military hopes the event will symbolise the co-operation between the two countries in the war against insurgents amid a growing clamour within America for the Iraqis to bear more of the security burden themselves.

Donald Rumsfeld, the US Defence Secretary, this week used a Pentagon news conference to repeatedly praise the 170,000 Iraqi troops who, he said, are taking more responsibility for counter-insurgency operations in their country. As opinion polls show confidence in the war on terrorism falling among US voters, there have been reports that Mr Rumsfeld is pressing for a steady “drawdown” of American troops who would be brought home after transferring their duties to Iraqi counterparts.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7374-1730310,00.html

[daleo]

1. I can guess what this will symbolize to Iraqis in 20 years or so

His memory will be rather like Benedict Arnold's is in the U.S. - not one that will be widely admired.

[54anickel]

2. WTF? Does his family agree to this? They couldn't sort out the parts

so he's coming along for the ride? This is symbolic of....?

[VegasWolf]

3. Boy, that's what I would want. The honor of being buried on the

Occupiers own homeland soil.

[Spinzonner]

4. It's probably symbolic of the fact that

modern warefare turns human beings into humanburger meat.

It's unlikely that they would be doing this if the remains could be separated.

My apologies for the rhetorical images.

[MADem]

6. Yup--unfortunately, what you say is all too accurate n/t

[DemInDistress]

5. just where are these

170,000 iraqi police/soldiers...Can we have a dress parade? Let Bush show off these 170,000 new iraqi security force/police/soldier..

[moof]

7. Drat, if only there were some sort of DNA test to help out.

What about the other people buried with him, this is ok with them ?

[TahitiNut]

8. In 10,000,000 years ...

... he'll be our very own oil deposit. :evilgrin: