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| Iraq |
| Iraqi Risked Life Leading Marines to Rescued POW |
| 2003-04-04 |
| An Iraqi lawyer tipped U.S. forces to the location of POW Jessica Lynch after seeing her slapped in the face by a burly Fedayeen security man guarding her in a Nasiriyah hospital, according published reports. The 32-year-old lawyer, identified only as Mohammed, told The Washington Post and USA Today that he peered through a window at the hospital where his wife worked as a nurse and saw a sight that "cut" his heart: Lynch being slapped in the face by the black-clad Iraqi security agent. He said he decided on the spot he had to tell U.S. forces where to find the captured American private. "Don't worry, don't worry," he recalled telling Lynch after later sneaking into her hospital room and promising to help. Mohammed walked out of Nasiriyah along a treacherous road known as "ambush alley" and, hands raised, approached a U.S. Marine. The Marine asked curtly: "What do you want?" Mohammed offered "important information about woman soldier in hospital." In the days that followed, Mohammed made several more risky trips to the hospital, which was full of Iraqi security guards, at the request of U.S. officers. He gathered information on the number of troops and made hand-drawn maps of the building's layout and location. His wife, Iman, filled in other crucial details, including the fact a helicopter could land on the roof, according to USA Today. Lynch, a 19-year-old Army supply clerk, was captured in an ambush when she and other members of the 507th Maintenance Company made a wrong turn in Nasiriyah. U.S. commandos rescued her Tuesday in a nighttime raid. Asked why he decided to help, Mohammed said he simply couldn't watch the mistreatment of a fellow human being without taking action. "A person is a human being regardless of nationality," he told the Post. "Believe me, I love Americans." Mohammed, talked to the newspapers after he, his wife and daughter were taken to a U.S. military camp in the Iraqi desert. They were to be flown later to a refugee center in Umm Qasr, Iraq's deepwater Persian Gulf port. He withheld his last name to protect his family. Mohammed told the newspapers he acted will full knowledge of the risks. "I am afraid not for me," he said. "I am afraid about my daughter and my wife. ... Because I love much." Marines said Mohammed's story gave them courage. "He's sort of an inspiration to all of us," Lt. Col. Rick Long told the Post. Lynch was flown Wednesday to a U.S. air base in Landstuhl, Germany, where she underwent back surgery at a military hospital. She was said also to have suffered fractures in both legs and a broken arm. |
| Posted by:Bent Pyramid |
| #10 *Hops with glee* Finally got under your skin, didn't I Murat? |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-04-04 12:06:39 |
| #9 Two âUSâ soldiers who died in Iraq Jose Gutierrez from Guatemala and Jose Angel Garibay from Mexico received their American citizenship after their death, in the glory of patriotism. Dammit Ptah!!!THIS is how a REAL human beings behave! Posted by: Murat 4/4/2003 9:12:43 AM Look--A troll! |
| Posted by: Flaming Sword 2003-04-04 09:56:47 |
| #8 Murat, since you know nothing about the naturalization process in the US, you only entertain us with uninformed and illinformed comments. One has to apply for citizenship and go through a period of process, sometimes several years. There is no automatic citizenship for those not born here or of American parentage. Mexican women actually illegally enter the country for the sole purpose of insuring their children are born on US soil in order to establish legal American citizenship. Our military is voluntary. Further, there is no requirement for one to be a citizen to enlist in the armed services, though you can not get a secret clearence and are therefore prohibited from certain military occupational specialities. Twice in my career I had junior enlisted personnel who had applied for citizenship ask me to stand with them when they received theirs. I consider each instances of the highest honors of my uniform experience to do so. These young men had probably also applied for citizenship as well but had not completed the full process. Even though the process was not completed as normal, they were granted their request for citizenship. The military also after death has awarded medals and promotions. It is not just a respect, but, if they were married or family men, the citizenship allows their family to apply for visa and citizenship entitlments. Note well, Murat, they were indeed not born here, but valued what America is and can be as to be so dedicated to give service and the ultimate sacrifice to their adopted country. No one forced them at the end of gun to go to the frontlines of the combat as your neighbors are doing. America is a country of every race, color and creed. It is a cross section of the world unlike any other nation state. Which is why we give little ear to those who denouce our imperfections while the world they live in has decades, nay, centuries to even come close to us in peacefully integrating so many races, colors, and creeds in a system which permits each opportunities to advance themselves and their posterity far beyond those found elsewhere. If you can do a better job, then do it. Don't talk, do. |
| Posted by: Don 2003-04-04 09:53:11 |
| #7 Wow, Murat. Did you save up all that bile while you took a vacation from posting, to make sure you could take all the cheap shots possible upon your return? Might want to watch the plural/single agreement when writing, though. Bad grammar ruins many a point. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-04-04 09:49:07 |
| #6 THIS is how a REAL human being behaves! [murat] Enemy to Islam! American Bootlicker! Bad Iraqi, BAD! You are supposed to die for you savior, Saddam, not the evil, American, imperialist, dog, colonialist, infidel, baby-killer, bastards! Bad Muslim, BAAAAAAAADDDDDD. Why did you want to save evil Iraqi civilian murdering American bitch? You must defy America like we Turks. You must stab your friend in the back and suck on Chiraq's doodle. You must be willing to take their dirty American dollars and spit on them like a good Middle Easterner. You should watch more Al-Jazeera. Bad Doctor,BAD! [/murat] |
| Posted by: Celissa 2003-04-04 09:45:43 |
| #5 Two âUSâ soldiers who died in Iraq Jose Gutierrez from Guatemala and Jose Angel Garibay from Mexico received their American citizenship after their death, in the glory of patriotism. Dammit Ptah!!!THIS is how a REAL human beings behave! |
| Posted by: Murat 2003-04-04 09:12:43 |
| #4 He's an Iraqi lawyer, and his wife is a nurse, so they're pretty well set up there. I wouldn't put him on a pedestal or have him show his face for a few years, to avoid revenge killings. To be blunt, someone experienced in Law with this kind of heart is desperately needed in his own country to help rebuild the government. Thus, my call to put him in charge of something. Temporary administration. In the meantime, I wonder if a Blogosphere Thank You Fund to send reward money to Iraqis who behave like Mohammed, as well as Mohammed himself, isn't in order. Government reward money is one thing, but the Muslim culture is very heavy into Alms, and they know how to put value on money coming from individuals, rather than the government. I think $1000 from individual Americans would mean more emotionally than $10,000 from the US Government. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-04-04 08:53:34 |
| #3 It's wonderful that several colleges in WV have offered scholarships to Lynch after her ordeal, but there should definitely be some reward for this brave man and his wife as well. |
| Posted by: Dar Steckelberg 2003-04-04 08:23:31 |
| #2 Maybe we could get him to do a swing through the USA. There are an awful lot of folks over here who don't know when to stand up and do the right thing. |
| Posted by: B. 2003-04-04 08:07:34 |
| #1 Kudos to Mohammed! Put this guy in charge of something, ANYTHING! The Iraqi nation will then be in good hands! Dammit Murat! THIS is how a REAL human being behaves! |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-04-04 07:45:18 |