Webloggin » Execution of American Soldiers In Karbala Tied To Iran

Bill Roggio has an update on the Karbala attack on American soldiers, 4 of whom were killed execution style. It may turn out that the soldiers were killed by operatives from within the Iranian Republican Guard Corps. They were ambushed in the same unwarranted manner that resulted in the last conflict between Israeli forces and Lebanon. (h/t: Hot Air)

The Iranians may be responsible the conducting the attack that resulted in the murder of five American soldiers in Karbala

On January 20th, a team of twelve men disguised as U.S. soldiers entered the Provincial Joint Coordination Center in Karbala, where U.S. soldiers conducted a meeting with local officials, and attacked and killed five soldiers, and wounded another three. The initial reports indicated the five were killed in the Karbala JCC, however the U.S. military has reported that four of those killed were actually removed from the center, handcuffed, and murdered.

The American Forces Information Service provides the details of the attack in Karbala. Based on the sophisticated nature of the raid, as well as the response, or cryptic non-responses, from multiple military and intelligence sources, this raid appears to have been directed and executed by the Qods Force branch of the Iranian Republican Guard Corps. My sources agreed this is far to sophisticated an operation for the Mahdi Army or Badr Corps, while al-Qaeda in Iraq would have a difficult time mounting such an operation in the Shia south. “The Karbala Government Center raid the other day was a little too professional for JAM [Jaish al-Mahdi, or the Mahdi Army],” according to a military source.

This raid required specific intelligence, in depth training for the agents to pass as American troops, resources to provide for weapons, vehicles, uniforms, identification, radios and other items needed to successfully carry out the mission. Hezbollah’s Imad Mugniyah executed a similar attack against Israeli forces on the Lebanese border, which initiated the Hezbollah-Israeli war during the summer of 2006.

If true, and I have no reason to believe anything otherwise, what good is expected by inviting Iran to the negotiating table? The same people that criticize Americans for working with Saddam Hussein in the past would be yelping twenty years from now for working with Iran. Has anyone thought of what concessions Iran would require in the face of this appeasement initiative? Finally, how do you negotiate with a country whose leader professed death to America and Israel only one short week ago? (inevitable death no less)

I will be curious to see if the mainstream media updates this story to include the Iranian connections. The AP included this information in their report on Saturday and it has made its way into a scant few papers such as the Houston Chronicle and the Mercury News. Outside of those papers though I haven’t seen many carry this latest update on the Iranian connection to these execution style killings. If in fact the press does remain silent I can only speculate that the reason is rooted in their own opposition agenda. Surely news of this sort would incense Americans if reported the way it should be - above the fold on the front of every paper; the way it probably would have been reported before the press took a decidedly anti-American left turn. But somehow I don’t think the execution style killing of abducted Americans, two of whom were handcuffed together, really rates that high on the MSM radar.

Here is a reminder of what happened and how it is being reported.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - In perhaps the boldest and most sophisticated attack in four years of warfare, gunmen speaking English, wearing U.S. military uniforms and carrying American weapons abducted four U.S. soldiers last week at the provincial headquarters in the Shiite holy city of Karbala and then shot them to death.

The U.S. military confirmed a report earlier Friday by the Associated Press that three of the soldiers were dead and one was mortally wounded with a gunshot to the head when they were found in a neighboring province, about 25 miles from the compound where they were captured. A fifth soldier was killed in the initial attack on the compound.

The new account contradicted a U.S. military statement on Jan. 20, the day of the raid on an Iraqi governor’s office, that five soldiers were killed “repelling” the attack.

The security breakdown and the dramatic kidnapping and slaying of four soldiers leaked out just as President Bush faces stiffening congressional opposition over his plan to send 21,500 more U.S. troops to Iraq. Two of Congress’ most vocal war critics, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. John Murtha, were in the Iraqi capital as the news broke.

Handcuffed together

In a statement issued late Friday, the military said two of the soldiers were handcuffed together in the back seat of an SUV near the southern Iraqi town of Mahawil. A third dead soldier was on the ground nearby. The fourth soldier died on the way to the hospital.

The brazen assault, 50 miles south of Baghdad, was conducted by nine to 12 gunmen posing as an American security team, the military confirmed. The attackers traveled in black GMC Suburban vehicles — the type used by U.S. government convoys — had American weapons, wore new U.S. military combat fatigues, and spoke English, according to two senior U.S. military officials as well as Iraqi officials. - AP via Mercury News

Again, another cowardly act characterized as a brazen assault by the press. Sorry, brazen doesn’t quite cut it in my book. Cold, calculated, cowardly and state sponsored would be more like it. The addition of quotes around the phrase “repelling” as was reported in the original story is another swipe at the military. So what if that was how it was originally reported? I am sure American forces gave some resistance while they were being ambushed. But in the eyes of the AP it’s all lies and exaggerations. Jerks. They of all people should know that the news changes as the facts come out. The rush to get the news often results in evolving reports; especially in a war zone.

The execution style killings of American soldiers in Karbala will likely prove to be one of the many factors involved in the decision to change our previous catch and release policy in favor of shoot to kill when engaged with Iranian operatives in Iraq. This is a policy that should have been implemented long ago and underscores one of the many reasons that conservatives abandoned the Republican party on November 7th 2006.

I would imagine that this recent change in policy is just the preliminary message. If Iran wants to engage the United States further I have no doubt that the carriers sitting in close proximity will send them a far more poignant message.

Update: In reading many press reports this morning I can see that a trend has emerged that is questioning the initial accounts as reported by the U.S. military. This is true; the military did originally report that the forces died repelling the ambush and were not kidnapped. But this focus on the U.S. military account is par for the course for a MSM that gets all bent out of shape when they are not the first with all the facts; even in the case where it may be militarily strategic not to divulge certain aspects of the attack until it has been cleared by those with the ability to do so.

Too bad though because the mainstream media misses the main component of the report; one that should be focused on Iran. This story could easily be one that is used to tie Iran’s actions intricately to the war in Iraq yet the press continually seeks to look for ways to criticize the U.S. military while characterizing the actions of foreign forces as brazen. Sadly the Iranian connection is being downplayed or simply ignored.

Military officials offered no explanation for why the men originally were reported as having died “repelling the attack.” - McClatchy

The new account contradicted a U.S. military statement Jan. 20, the day of the raid on an Iraqi governor’s office, that five soldiers were killed “repelling” the attack. - AP

The U.S. military, which has said that five U.S. soldiers were killed and three were wounded while repelling the attack, denied that two U.S. troops were kidnapped.
“Nothing has changed since the night before,” Lt. Col. Christopher Garver said. “During the attack on our coalition forces, we sustained five U.S. KIA and three US wounded. All of MND-Baghdad [multinational division] personnel were accounted for after the action.” - Fox News

Others: Flopping Aces, Rhymes With Right