Here's the latest. Sadly looks like another beheading scenario, this time possibly with an Active Duty Marine.

quote:

BAGHDAD, Iraq - An Arab satellite TV network broadcast a videotape Sunday showing a blindfolded man in military uniform it said was a U.S. Marine taken hostage in Iraq. There was no immediate comment from the U.S. military, but the video showed a card identifying the man by a Pakistani name and as an "active duty" Marine. The Al-Jazeera newtork said the group claimed it infiltrated a U.S. Marine outpost, lured the man outside and abducted him. The station said the group demanded the release of all Iraqis "in occupation jails" or the man would be killed. The group identified itself as "Islamic Response," the security wing of the "1920 Revolution Brigades" referring to the uprising against the British after World War I.

i don't think there is any international law that says animals can't behead their enemies.

True. What else do they teach you in San Diego?

Soldier killed on video, but not the same Marine on the post.

quote:

Report: Iraqi Militants Kill U.S. Soldier By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi militants killed an American soldier they have held hostage for nearly three months, saying the killing was because the U.S. government did not change its policy in Iraq (news - web sites), Al-Jazeera television said Tuesday. The report of the killing of Spc. Keith M. Maupin, 20, of Batavia, Ohio, came hours after the United States returned sovereignty in Iraq to an interim government. The report did not say when Maupin was killed. The U.S. military said it could not immediately confirm whether a man shown being shot in a murky videotape was indeed Maupin, who was taken hostage after an April 9 attack outside Baghdad. Meanwhile, the father of a U.S. Marine who was reported kidnapped by militants on Monday issued a plea for his release. The captors of Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun have threatened to behead him. Four other hostages — three Turks (news - web sites) and a Pakistani — all face threats of beheading in the next two days in a new flurry of abductions and death threats in Iraq. Al-Jazeera aired a video showing a blindfolded man sitting on the ground, identified as Maupin by a statement issued with the footage. Al-Jazeera said that in the next scene, gunmen shoot the man in the back of the head, in front of a hole dug in the ground. The station did not broadcast the killing. Maj. Willie Harris, public affairs spokesman for the Army's 88th Regional Readiness Command, said the man in the footage could not be clearly identified but that the videotape is being analyzed by the Department of Defense (news - web sites). "There is no confirmation at this time, that the tape contains footage of Matt Maupin or any other Army soldier," he said, adding that the Maupin family was briefed "as to the existence of a videotape."

Time for a 2,000 pound wake up call...

they might include the rebel cleric al-sadr in the new iraki gov't.

the best thing for irak is to not have a centralized gov't, but states of sunni, shiat, and kurds, that have a over-all ruling body to bring them together to make decisions affecting all their states. other than that, each state sould have their own autonomy.

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quote:

Originally posted by ::TranceVanDyk:: they might include the rebel cleric al-sadr in the new iraki gov't. the best thing for irak is to not have a centralized gov't, but states of sunni, shiat, and kurds, that have a over-all ruling body to bring them together to make decisions affecting all their states. other than that, each state sould have their own autonomy.

That sounds like a really bad plan becuase it will not bring Iraqis together into a central governing body. Anarchy is not the solution and that is why 150,000 US troops are sitting there with NATO forces on the way to train Iraqi indiginent forces.

quote:

Originally posted by emander That sounds like a really bad plan becuase it will not bring Iraqis together into a central governing body.

Do the Iraqis want to be with a central governing body? If not, then it might be a good idea.

quote:

Originally posted by ::TranceVanDyk:: the best thing for irak is to not have a centralized gov't, but states of sunni, shiat, and kurds, that have a over-all ruling body to bring them together to make decisions affecting all their states. other than that, each state sould have their own autonomy.

Problem is that Turkey would resist the concept of a Kurdish state. And Turkey is an important US ally. So this is probably not going to happen - no matter if the people in Iraq want it.