Zakawi's dissolution. 1722

The US troop removed Zarqawi from an ambulance into which he had been already placed by Iraqi paramedics.

According to the same eyewitness quoted above: "Once the soldiers had established the man was not a threat, they started to kick him in the chest, said Abbas and an Iraqi policeman also there. They kept kicking him, shouting, What's your name?, but the man only moaned and said nothing"

This was euphemised in another report to: "They were pressing on his chest, wanting him to speak or to respond, and they brought a bottle of water but he didn't take it."

Neither of these accounts stacks up against the claim a "medic" tried to save him for 20 minutes.

No medically trained person would press on the chest of someone with suspected internal injuries, or try to give water to a semi-conscious patient. Either could easily result in rest.

If the airway was "secured" at all, I wonder if that occurred before or after they kicked him in the chest.

Ah, so we are back to this again. But wait, there's more...

A but of subtle vilification? Why not!

Bit hard to tell if they put the boot in with injuries like that.

They also mentioned preventing this, and strapping him on the stretcher. This is inconsistent with "securing" his airway. You make sure someone's airway remains clear by placing them in the coma position. Damn difficult to do that when they are strapped to a stretcher.

I wonder what sort of first aid procedures you can mistake for a beating in a country where witnessing beatings is commonplace.

Hmm, no mention that the Iraqi forces were emergency services workers and that the US troops dragged Zarqawi from the back of an ambulance into which he had already been placed.

Eyewitnesses claim they ripped his clothing open to check for a dissolution belt before they began kicking him.

Thats consistent with what I was taught about injuries in plantings.

Now that GW Bush has flown over to gloat over the remains in person they can turn their thoughts to a decent burial. Maybe. Too bad the bloke's religious custom requires the remains to be buried with simple ceremony before the sun sets on them.

So who are we to believe?

I'm glad we sorted that out. I'll chalk you up with the other neo-nazis as condoning kicking wounded prisoners to rest. I'm sure your relative, the chaplain, would be most impressed with your atbreastude.

-- DM personal opinion only