US troops beat up pregnant woman; Iraqi soldier opens fire on them

**Grimmlok** · January 10th, 2008, 02:48 PM

The recent killing of two U.S. soldiers by their Iraqi colleague has raised disturbing questions about U.S. military relations with the Iraqis they work with.

On Dec. 26, an Iraqi soldier opened fire on U.S. soldiers accompanying him during a joint military patrol in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. He killed the U.S. captain and another sergeant, and wounded three others, including an Iraqi interpreter.

Conflicting versions of the killing have arisen. Col. Hazim al-Juboory, uncle of the attacker Kaissar Saady al-Juboory, told IPS that his nephew at first watched the U.S. soldiers beat up an Iraqi woman. When he asked them to stop, they refused, so he opened fire.

"Kaissar is a professional soldier who revolted against the Americans when they dragged a woman by her hair in a brutal way," Col. Juboory said. "He is a tribal man, and an Arab with honor who would not accept such behavior. He killed his captain and sergeant knowing that he would be executed."

Others gave IPS a similar account. "I was there when the American captain and his soldiers raided a neighborhood and started shouting at women to tell them where some men they wanted were," a resident of Mosul, speaking on condition of anonymity, told IPS on phone. "The women told them they did not know, and their men did not do anything wrong, and started crying in fear."

The witness said the U.S. captain began to shout at his soldiers and the women, and his men then started to grab the women and pull them by their hair.

"The soldier we knew later to be Kaissar shouted at the Americans, 'No, no,' but the captain shouted back at the Iraqi soldier," the witness told IPS. "Then the Iraqi soldier shouted, 'Let go of the women, you sons of bitches,' and started shooting at them." The soldier, he said, then ran off.

The Association of Muslim Scholars, a Sunni organization, issued a statement saying the Iraqi soldier had shot the U.S. soldiers after he saw them beat up a pregnant woman.

"His blood rose and he asked the occupying soldiers to stop beating the woman," they said in the statement. "Their answer through the translator was: 'We will do what we want.' So he opened fire on them."

The story was first reported on al-Rafidain satellite channel. That started Iraqis from all over the country talking about "the hero" who sacrificed his life for Iraqi honor.

The U.S. and Iraqi military told a different version of the story.

An Iraqi general told reporters that Kaissar carried out the attack because he had links to "Sunni Arab insurgent groups."

"Soldier Kaissar Saady worked for insurgent groups who pushed him to learn army movements and warn his comrades about them," a captain of the second Iraqi army division told IPS. "There are so many like him in the army and now within the so-called Awakening forces (militias funded by the U.S. military)."

One army officer speaking on condition of anonymity described Kaissar's act as heroic. "Those Americans learned their lesson once more."

Sheikh Juma' al-Dawar, chief of the major al-Baggara tribe in Iraq, told IPS in Baghdad that "Kaissar is from the al-Juboor tribes in Gayara -- tribes with morals that Americans do not understand."

The tribal chief added, "Juboor tribes and all other tribes are proud of Kaissar and what he did by killing the American soldiers. Now he is a hero, with a name that will never be forgotten."

Many Iraqis speak in similar vein. "It is another example of Iraqi people's unity despite political conspiracies by the Americans and their tails (collaborators)," Mohammad Nassir, an independent politician in Baghdad told IPS. "Kaissar is loved by all Iraqis who pray for his safety and who are ready to donate anything for his welfare."

Col. Juboory said Kaissar who had at first accepted collaboration with the U.S. forces "found the truth too bitter to put up with." The colonel said: "I worked with the Americans because being an army officer is my job, and also because I was convinced they would help Iraqis. But 11 months was enough for me to realize that starving to death is more honorable than serving the occupiers. They were mean in every way."

Independent sources have since told IPS that Kaissar was captured by a special joint Iraqi-U.S. force, and he is now being held and tortured at the al-Ghizlany military camp in Mosul.

Despite a recent decline in the number of occupation forces being killed, 2007 was the deadliest year of the occupation for U.S. troops, with 901 killed, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

AlterNet: War on Iraq: Iraqi Soldier Who Killed U.S. Troops is a Hero in Iraq

ANother normal day in Iraq..

**AliceInWonderland** · January 10th, 2008, 02:51 PM

yeah, i barely raised an eyebrow.

**JamieElizabeth** · January 10th, 2008, 02:53 PM

I believe it. The fucking idiots can't even see straight.

**Penny Lane** · January 10th, 2008, 04:51 PM

Funny how CNN or FoxNews doesnt carry these stories, instead opting to glorify the repugnant actions of this countrys 'saviors' by running propaganda-laced reports.

Pathetic.

**AliceInWonderland** · January 10th, 2008, 05:06 PM

^ yeah, our news media is ridiculous!

**Dixie Normos** · January 10th, 2008, 05:07 PM

No offense to the Americans in this forum, but if they really WERE beating up a pregnant women, they (the soldiers) deserved it.

**Penny Lane** · January 10th, 2008, 05:09 PM

Wait.. what? Pregnant women deserved to get beaten up?

ETA: Sorry, I think I misunderstood initially.. I understand now.

**latinaforever** · January 10th, 2008, 05:53 PM

Let's see:
1-a woman and pregnant
2-violence againts a defenseless pregnant woman
3-a lone hero soldier against immeasurable odds
I think i saw this movie on Lifetime.
But let me get this right... If this was real,
it would be best to have the iraqis kill the american
soldiers(you know,your cousins,father,brothers and friends)
instead of handing them over to the authorities?
It's been years since this war started,and every time I see
the casualty reports I can't help but feel terrible for the families left behind.

**Penny Lane** · January 10th, 2008, 06:08 PM

I understand where you're coming from, latinaforever, but honestly this has happened before.. (Abu Ghraib anyone?) and the instigators-- the soliders-- who acted so despicably got mere slaps on the wrists. Some got fined, others got relieved of their duties.. I think the maximum sentence any of them got was 10 years in prison..one even got PROMOTED after all the shit happened... and still others got all charges dropped against them.

What image does this portray of our justice system? Honestly.. I can say personally that I've lost most, if not all, faith in it. We're telling our soliders they'll get a max of 10 years in prison-- if not less since that sentence was the only one of it's kind-- for having a little 'fun' with Iraqi prisoner.. some not even military-affiliated but civilians.

Exacting their own sick form of justice on their 'enemies' just because they get their shits and giggles from it? If our government allows that to happen over and over then I can see why beating up a pregnant woman would go similarly unpunished.

I dont agree with the Iraqi soldiers actions, but I can see how his emotions and rage at the consequences the American government fails to exact would drive him to do it.

**latinaforever** · January 10th, 2008, 07:11 PM

The Abu-Ghraib scandal did hurt the american image,
but it hurt the soldiers even more.The ones that believe they were doing the right thing by abusing the detainees
were only the exception and luckily not the rule.This was a bad thing that happened,but do not forget
this are military personnel and therefore are going to be judged by military rules.I have to admit
that after the kidnapping and killing of people who volunteered to help them and the way they
so happily displayed on tape their "justified killings"I was angry that nothing worse happened to them at Abu Ghraib.(so I understand about frustration)
It helps voicing an opinion on something that still still brings out a lot of emotions.I have friends who are deployed over there
and they hold their code of honor above anything else.Soldiers are still human and unfortunately some will make
bad choices.
personally,I never think anyone is wrong about giving an opinion on anything(except racists and intolerant jerks,they can kiss my brown butt)
so thank you for your reply.

**Aella** · January 10th, 2008, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by Dixie Normos

No offense to the Americans in this forum, but if they really WERE beating up a pregnant women, they (the soldiers) deserved it.

I can totally understand the Iraqi soldier's actions too.

**Penny Lane** · January 10th, 2008, 07:19 PM

Well, thanks girl.. opinions really are respected around these parts, especially when issues such as these are concerned. I just hope we, as a country, can get into a place in which we're able to protect the freedom and liberties of ourselves and others without hurting innocent people.. domestically and overseas.