Two U.S. Soldiers Brutally Murdered in Mosul, Iraq

On November 23, in the northern Iraq city of Mosul, two decapitated corpses of U.S. soldiers were discovered, and the scene of Iraqi people taking them out and crushing it with bricks was widely observed, shocking the world. However, the specific reason for their murders and the process of decapitation have not been cleared up yet, further tangling up the problems.

The Atrocious Assaults – The incident on this day occurred when two of the soldiers from the U.S. 101st air-strike division were driving through downtown Mosul. They came under attack from rifle shots, and the car crashed into a wall. About 10 boys, who appeared to be teenagers, came rushing towards the car and dragged the two soldiers out while striking blows to their heads using concrete blocks, reported the foreign press.

Reuters reported that the terrorists stabbed the gun-shot soldiers with lethal weapons and severed their necks. On the other hand, AP reported, quoting the remarks of a teenage eyewitness, that one bullet had shot through the head of a soldier and the other bullet penetrated the neck of the other one, adding that the terrorists did not cut the throat with a deadly weapon.

The foreign press also passed on that the teenagers brutally mutilated the corpses of the two U.S soldiers, and plundered the weapons, compact discs and baggages from the vehicle. One of the teenager eyewitness remarked that the corpses were left alone for over an hour next to their vehicle, added AP.

The U.S. forces have refused to clear up the details of the incident, since the cause of the deaths is not clear as to whether it was by the rifle shot, the car crash, or the attacks by the deadly weapons. In the videotapes taken just after the U.S. forces secured control of the site, one chopped-off leg was seen to be visibly rolled over on the blood-stained ground.

Could the Anti-War Public Opinion be stirred up? – The U.S. administration asserted that their policy is not to disclose the details of the U.S. soldiers’ injuries. However, some say that if the cruel status of the corpses is disclosed, it might instigate the anti-war public opinion in the U.S. AP passed on that the scene was reminiscent of the incident in Somalia, September, 1993. One of the U.S. Black Hawk helicopters under an operation as a U.N. peace keeping force was shot down by Somalian armed resistance forces. After crashing, the Somalians marched on the streets, dragging several corpses of the U.S. Marines.

When the striking scenes in Somalia were reported, the public opinion worsened. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton ordered all the U.S. forces dispatched to Somalia to leave the country by March of the following year. The withdrawal began from the special warfare forces who were dispatched to capture Mohamed Para Ahidid, the head of Somalian armed resistance forces.

The Safety of Mosul Aggravated – The foreign press has reported that the incident which took place in Mosul, which had been assessed as a comparatively safety area until this incident, is unprecedented. So far, in Mosul, there have been not many “anti-U.S. violence” incidents, compared with northern and western Baghdad where the Suni faction is in control. In particular, some concerns have been raised that in Mosul, the resistance forces are spreading out its power all over the region since the beginning of November, as the amount of attacks on the U.S. forces are skyrocketing. Mosul was chosen as the most suitable area for Korean military dispatch.

On the other hand, in northern Baghdad in Ba Quobah, a bomb set on the side of the road exploded, killing a U.S. soldier from the 4th infantry division, who passed by at that time. As a result of his death, the total death toll of the U.S. forces has increased to 290 since the end of major combat declaration on May 1.

Jin Lee leej@donga.com