On The Increased Incidence Of Cruel Torture In Iraq. (by BigBadJohnny)

Jessica Lynch

Some of you may have noticed that the incidence In the fighting, and civil strife, in Iraq, of torture, cruel, barbaric, repulsive, has come up more and more often of late. Until just a few short weeks ago, it was not an issue, never mentioned.

Early in the war with Iraq, Jessica Lynch was captured by the Iraqis. We were fearful that she would be killed, or humiliated, or mutilated. She wasn't. She was treated with respect. Some of our enemies placed themselves in jeopardy to protect her. She was rescued, and is safe and sound.

Today it is common to read of bodies, mutilated, having been tortured, found in the streets of cities and towns in Iraq.

NASSIRIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - Italy, the last major Western European ally of the United States and Britain in Iraq, ended its mission on Thursday, handing the province under its control over to Iraqi troops.
Thirty-eight bodies were found dumped in the streets of Baghdad, a toll that has become almost routine in the capital over the past weeks as death squads roam its streets, dragging victims out of homes and shops, torturing and killing them.
A U.N. report released overnight said Iraq was now deadlier than ever, with 6,599 Iraqis dying violently in the last two months, 700 more than in the previous two.
"Bodies found at the Medico-legal Institute often bear signs of severe torture, including acid-induced injuries and burns caused by chemical substances, missing skin, broken bones, missing eyes, missing teeth and wounds caused by power drills or nails," it said.

The first (and only) incidence of American soldiers being tortured came on June 20, 2006.
Reuters:
Two US soldiers in Iraq found dead
Tue Jun 20, 2006 9:12am ET
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Two U.S. soldiers who went missing after an attack on their checkpoint have been found dead and were tortured before being killed, an Iraqi defense official said on Tuesday.
U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad Major General William Caldwell refused to confirm or deny the report, saying the military would not make any announcement before next of kin were informed.
Iraqi Defense Ministry official Major General Abdul Aziz Mohammed told Reuters the bodies of Privates Thomas Lowell Tucker, 25, and Kristian Menchaca, 23, were found by a joint U.S.-Iraqi force on Monday near an electricity plant in Yusufiya, the area in which they were abducted on Friday.
He said the bodies showed signs of "barbaric torture".
"The bodies of U.S. Army Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston, and Army Pfc. Thomas Lowell Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore., were found on a street near a power plant in the town of Youssifiyah, just south of Baghdad. "

Christians, Jews, Muslims, nearly all the worlds major religions, now, and throughout history, have common elements. One such element is a belief in the power of prayer. I have said, and I truly believe, that "prayer changes things".
Because of the increasing brutality in Iraq, and Afghanistan, it seems proper to pray for our overseas troops, all who are "in harms way".

We can only hope and pray that this war in Iraq, which many feel is unjust, will soon, by the grace of God, wind down, and our sons and daughters will "come marching home" to continue the lives they left behind.