Just heard the most incredible thing on CNBC about the firefight

[ethimtemp]

Just heard a Bush apologist on CNBC say the reason there were no bodies found from yesterday's firefight is..........

the survivors took all of the bodies and body parts with them!!

Do these people have any shame ?

[Frangible]

1. not incredible at all

The same thing happened in Moghidishu, Somalia. The reason is, as I understand it, related to islamic culture/religion about burying the bodies at a certain time. At least that's what the residents of Moghidishu said.

Since the Iraqis are largely of the same faith, I'd assume it holds there as well.

Americans don't leave corpses either. "Leave no man behind". Both sides in a conflict usually try to honor their dead.

I don't see what's so mysterious about that.

[joanski01]

3. Are you saying that the American

troops are just going to stand around and watch while these people retrieve bodies and parts of bodies?

[Frangible]

7. You don't stand and watch in a gunfight

Yes, they do retrieve and bury bodies very quickly. Part of the islamic faith includes great respect for the dead. The corpses were drug mid-battle in Somalia according to their faith, I'm not sure why the islams in Iraq would have any less faith or respect for the dead than those in Somalia.

[tabasco]

9. If you're talking about the Ranger debacle ...

the Rangers were in no position to police up enemy bodies since they were in full retreat. So the Somalis had plenty of time to collect them up. I hate to inform you that the Rangers left bodies behind. We are trained to evacuate bodies ONLY IF it does not jeopardize accomplishing the mission. The mission after the choppers got shot down was hasty defense and get the hell out of there.
If we dominated the firefight in Iraq like the military is claiming, it would be very unlikely the resistance would have been able to collect ALL their bodies in the midst of a full retreat.

[snippy]

10. Why did they leave the eight civilian Iraqi bodies ?

Also, the US military claims that the two convoys were attacked by a total of 60 militants. Of these 60, 54 were killed, 22 wounded and one captured. Who carried the bodies away?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=afp/iraq_unrest_samarra

[Patriot_Spear]

14. With all due respect- you don't know what the hell you're talking about.

You're trying to tell me a bunch of Iraqi's, under fire, took time to pick up 54 wounded/killed men and assorted body parts?

And you're saying we do the same? Buddy, we're still missing almost 2000 men from the Viet Nam war. And as far as Moghidishu- they dragged the corpses of our guys around for hours. So much for the 'leave no man behind' bullshit.

This whole story stinks to high heaven.

[joanski01]

2. I must have laughed

for a full 30 seconds when I read this. They took the bodies and body parts with them!!!!!! Incredible!!!! I guess these assholes think that the dumbing down of America is complete.

[Frangible]

5. Dumbing down? Not at all

"Ismail Ahmed was a 30-year-old mechanic, and Ahmad Sheik was a 40-year-old accountant and one of Kassim's right-hand men. Somalian militiamen were hiding inside the garage compound, so Kassim knew they might be bombed. When the shooting started, the beefy businessman had quickly run to the Digfer Hospital to hide. He figured the Americans would not shoot at a hospital.

He stayed there two hours. It sounded as if the whole city were exploding with gunfire. As dusk approached his men brought him news of the two deaths, and because their Islamic faith called for them to bury the dead before sundown, Kassim left the hospital and returned to his garage to lead a burial detail."

http://inquirer.philly.com/packages/somalia/dec06/default06.asp

-"Black Hawk Down", by Mark Bowden

[Cocoa]

8. you have to question every single thing the military says

At this point, if you don't respond to everything they say with "prove it!" you are dumbed down. There's no excuse for giving these people the benefit of the doubt.

[okieinpain]

13. you're not the only one, "hey don't shoot that one, he's just burying his

brother"

[chaumont58]

4. Viet Nam all over again, meaningless, unprovable body counts

Sunday was repleat with headlines, 56 Iraqis killed in ambush turned around. Now, we learn, tallying up after action reports lead to that 'fact.'
What goes around, comes around. Its 1965 all over again, except...

[trumad]

6. Just think

If one of those 45 was Saddam Hussein we'd never know now would we?

[LeftCoast]

11. For those of you who think the # killed is accurate

If the US military was not able to find bodies, how do they know how many were killed?

[SmokeyBlues]

12. Ms. Cleo told them!

Now let's move along. There's nothing (and I do mean nothing) to see here.