Terrorist behind mutilation of two GI's captured in Iraq

NY Times:

The terrorist mastermind behind the kidnapping, brutal torture and killing of two American soldiers in June was apprehended in a raid in a town just south of capital on Tuesday, American and Iraqi officials said today.

The abduction of the two Americans, who were captured when insurgents ambushed a traffic checkpoint their platoon had set up in the hostile town of Yusufiya, sparked one of the largest manhunts of the war, with 8,000 troops involved.

The soldiers’ remains were eventually found not far from where they were taken, savaged in a way that an Iraqi defense official at the time called “something unnatural.”

A group called the Mujahedeen Shura Council, which is linked Al Qaeda in Iraq, later released a graphic video showing the decapitation of one of the Americans. At one point, the arm of one insurgent is shown picking up the soldier’s head as another insurgent steps on the face of the other soldier.

The two murdered soldiers were identified as Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, of Madras, Ore. A third soldier, Specialist David J. Babineau, 25 of Springfield, Mass, was killed during the attack on June 16 that resulted in the abduction.

...

The raid was triggered by a tip the Americans received about a video that had been shown at the Yusufiya mosque, Iraqi and American military officials said. On the recording, a man is seen commenting on the kidnapping. It is this man, military officials said, who was taken into custody.

He is also believed to have directed and participated in other kidnappings, murders and violent crimes, the military said in a statement.

...
Hopefully he will be persuaded to tell us who else was involved in this war crime by the enemy. Gateway Pundit and the Jawa Report have more. The Jawa link has some extremely graphic images of the victims, so be advised. It also has links to other reporting on the story. While the NY Times talks about the significance of capturing a murder, it still fails to mention the war crimes aspect of the murders. Again, the Geneva Conventions are only for our side of the war to follow.

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