Americans Shock Over Scenes of American Hostages & Dead

In the midst of the enormous increase in casualties of Coalition Forces of the United States and England due to Iraq’s harsh response, it was a great shock to the United States when Iraq showed the scenes of the hostages and the dead bodies of American soldiers on Al jazeera, an Arabic-language broadcasting station.

The foreign news media communicated that many Americans are reminded of the horrible memories of seeing a crowd of Somalis dragging the dead bodies of American soldiers around the streets of its capital city, Mogadishu, on TV in 1993.

Claiming that Iraq TV has taken these scenes, Al jazeera broadcasted these scenes of the dead bodies and the American POWs on TV.

On screen, there were at least 5 dead American soldiers lying in a destroyed house with blood all over the walls.

Iraq stated that these American soldiers were killed at Nasiriya, in northern Iraq, where the Iraqis had a fierce battle with United States troops.

An appearance of a dead soldier in fully equipped gear with helmet lying along a highway also was broadcast.

Following the scenes of the dead American soldiers, Al jazeera also broadcast the scenes of 5 soldiers being interviewed by Iraqi TV in English with fearful looks on their faces. One sergeant and a woman soldier, who clarified that they are from New Jersey and Texas seemed severely wounded.

After the broadcasting, there have been voices of concern about the American POWs and the warning messages that demanded Iraq’s appropriate treatment of the American POWs from the United States.

“My son was among captives on the screen. Please save my son,” cried a woman from New Mexico.

By showing the pictures of their sons and daughters during the interview with the press the families of the American MIA tearfully said, “Would you have sent them to Iraq if they were your sons and daughters,” to President George W. Bush.

The testimonies of Americans who were once captured as hostages along with severe mistreatment by the Iraqi soldiers during the Gulf War in 1991 have also started to be voiced. They testified that they were physically abused along with sleeping blindfolded still in handcuffs as well as suffering diarrhea and vomiting due to their maltreatment.

“Those Iraqis who mistreat American war hostages will be punished as war criminals”, warned President Bush on the 23rd.

Some military experts presented the analysis that Iraq is using tactics of reminding Americans of the ‘Nightmare of Mogadishu.’ This analysis is drawn from the incident when American soldiers withdrew from Somalia after such similar broadcast on TV at the time.

General John Abizaid from the United States Central Command, stated “There will not be any case of decrease in the morale of our soldiers as well as dilution in Americans’ will power even if Iraq keeps showing American hostages on TV.”

Chi-Young Shin higgledy@donga.com