Chism, Johnathan B.
Falter, Shawn P.
Fritz,
Jacob N.
Millican, Johnathon M.
Captured, Transported and Executed
|
08/01/07
Original reporting stated that Fitz, Chisum, Falter and Millican (sp)
were taken from the compound and executed. Freeman was
killed in the compound during the initial attack. Even
the 2/1/ article on Freeman's funeral stated he was killed in the
compound and the four others taken.
In fact it was Millican who was killed in the compound. He
was recently awarded the Silver Star for his actions in fighting off
attackers. Capt. Brian S. Freeman was among the four
captured and subsequently executed.
NAL
==================================
Two
Senior Iraqi
Generals Eyed
in Brazen Attack on U.S. Soldiers
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Two senior
Iraqi generals are being questioned in connection with last week's
attack in Karbala that left five U.S. soldiers dead, Pentagon officials
told.
Military officials also said the level of sophistication of the attack
— where militants posed as U.S. soldiers to pass a number of security
checkpoints — suggested possible Iranian involvement.
The assault was carried out by nine to 12 militants wearing new U.S.
military fatigues and traveling in black GMC Suburban vehicles — the
type used by U.S. government convoys. U.S. officials said the imposters
had American weapons and spoke English.
The raid, as explained by Iraqi and American officials, began after
nightfall at about 6 p.m. on Jan. 20, while American military officers
were meeting with their Iraqi counterparts on the main floor of the
Provisional Joint Coordination Center (PJCC) in Karbala.
The Pentagon said the investigation into the attack is ongoing and
several Iraqis have been detained for questioning.
Because high-level generals were possibly involved, the Pentagon said,
it raises questions about the loyalty and trustworthiness of Iraqi
military officers at the highest levels.
The bodies of four of the five U.S.
soldiers killed in the attack were found later miles away from the
compound suggesting they may have briefly been kidnapped before the
died.
The military said two of the soldiers were handcuffed together in the
back seat of an SUV near the southern Iraqi town of Mahawil. A third
dead soldier was on the ground nearby and a fourth died en route to the
hospital.
"The precision of the attack, the equipment used and the possible
use of explosives to destroy the military vehicles in the compound
suggests that the attack was well rehearsed prior to execution,"
said Lt. Col. Scott Bleichwehl, spokesman for Multi-National
Division-Baghdad.
"The attackers went straight to where Americans were located in the
provincial government facility, bypassing the Iraqi police in the
compound," he said. "We are looking at all the evidence to
determine who or what was responsible for the breakdown in security at
the compound and the perpetration of the assault."
Pvt. Johnathon M. Millican, 1st Lt. Jacob Fritz, Capt. Brian S. Freeman,
Pfc. Shawn P. Falter and Spc. Johnathan Bryan Chism died in the attack.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,249403,00.html
======================
National
Alliance of Families
www.nationalalliance.org
January 27, 2007 Bits N Pieces
FLASH! - 4 Soldiers Captured, Transported and Executed
– Late last evening Associated Press reported that 4 Soldiers who died
January 20th were, in fact, captured and subsequently executed. In an
article filed in Baghdad by Steven R. Hurst and Qassim Abdul-Zahra, the
AP reported; [Begin Article] "In perhaps the boldest and most
sophisticated attack in four years of warfare, gunmen speaking English,
wearing U.S. military uniforms and carrying American weapons abducted
four U.S. soldiers last week at the provincial headquarters in the
Shiite holy city of Karbala and then shot them to death."
"The U.S. military confirmed a report earlier Friday by The
Associated Press that three of the soldiers were dead and one was
mortally wounded with a gunshot to the head when they were found in a
neighboring province, about 25 miles from the compound where they were
captured. A fifth soldier was killed in the initial attack on the
compound."
"The new account contradicted a U.S. military statement on Jan.
20, the day of the raid on an Iraqi governor's office, that five
soldiers were killed "repelling" the attack....."
"In a statement issued late Friday, the military
said two of the soldiers were handcuffed together in the back seat of an
SUV near the southern Iraqi town of Mahawil. A third dead soldier was on
the ground nearby. The fourth soldier died on the way to the
hospital..... None of the American or Iraqi officials would allow use of
their names because of the sensitive nature of the information."
"The confirmation came after nearly a week of
inquiries. The U.S. military in Baghdad initially did not respond to
repeated requests for comment on reports that began emerging from Iraqi
government and military officials on the abduction and a major breakdown
in security at the Karbala site."
"Within hours of the AP report that four of the
five dead soldiers had been abducted and found dead or dying about 25
miles east of Karbala, the military issued a long account of what took
place. "The precision of the attack, the equipment used and the
possible use of explosives to destroy the military vehicles in the
compound suggests that the attack was well rehearsed prior to
execution," said Lt. Col. Scott Bleichwehl, spokesman for
Multi-National Division-Baghdad."
"The attackers went straight to where Americans
were located in the provincial government facility, bypassing the Iraqi
police in the compound," he said. "We are looking at all the
evidence to determine who or what was responsible for the breakdown in
security at the compound and the perpetration of the assault....."
"The attackers threw a grenade and opened fire with
automatic rifles as they grabbed two soldiers inside the compound. Then
the guerrilla assault team jumped on top of an armored U.S. Humvee and
captured two more soldiers, the U.S. military officials said."
"In its statement, the U.S. military said one
soldier was killed and three were wounded by a "hand grenade thrown
into the center's main office which contains the provincial police
chief's office on an upper floor."
The attackers captured four soldiers and fled with them
and the computer east toward Mahawil in Babil province, crossing the
Euphrates River, the U.S. military officials said."
"The Iraqi officials said the four were captured
alive and shot just before the vehicles were abandoned. Police, who
became suspicious when the convoy of attackers and their American
captives did not stop at a roadblock, chased the vehicles and found the
bodies, the gear and the abandoned SUVs."
"The military statement said: "Two
soldiers were found handcuffed together in the back of one of the SUVs.
Both had suffered gunshot wounds and were dead. A third soldier was
found shot and dead on the ground. Nearby, the fourth soldier was still
alive, despite a gunshot wound to the head."
"The wounded soldier was rushed to the hospital by
Iraqi police but died on the way, the military said.
The military also said Iraqi police had found five SUVs,
U.S. Army-type combat uniforms, boots, radios and a non-U.S. made rifle
at the scene...."
"The Defense Department has released the names of
troops killed Jan. 20 but clearly identified only one as being killed
because of the sneak attack. Capt. Brian S. Freeman, 31, of Temecula,
Calif., "died of wounds suffered when his meeting area came under
attack by mortar and small arms fire." Freeman was assigned to the
412th Civil Affairs Battalion, Whitehall, Ohio."
"The only other troops killed that day in that
region of Iraq were four Army soldiers said to have been "ambushed
while conducting dismounted operations" in Karbala."
"The four were identified as 1st Lt. Jacob N.
Fritz, 25, of Verdon, Neb.; Spc. Johnathan B. Chism, 22, of
Prairieville, La.; Pfc. Shawn P. Falter, 25, of Homer, N.Y., and Pvt.
Johnathon M. Millican, 20, of Trafford, Ala. All were with the 2nd
Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat
Team, 25th Infantry Division, of Fort Richardson, Alaska." [End
Article]
###################
Department of Defense Press Release – The actual
wording of the DoD Defense Press Release reporting this incident reads;
"The Department of Defense announced today the death of four
soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Jan 20
in Karbala, Iraq, from wounds sustained when their patrol was ambushed
while conducting dismounted operations. The soldiers were assigned
to the 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th
Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson,
Alaska." The full text is posted on our web site.
####################
"In War the First Casualty is Truth"
######################
The New York Post, in an editorial commenting on the
capture and death of the four soldiers, stated; ".....Four U.S.
soldiers, one of them a New Yorker, were captured - and promptly
murdered - last Saturday in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles
from Baghdad, officials confirmed. Two of the slain soldiers were found
handcuffed together in the back of a vehicle. Soldiers die in combat, of
course. But the murder of disarmed and helpless troops - killing
POWs, in effect - is what's at issue here....."
The killing of "POWs," obviously the New York
Post, like so many others, is unaware that the United States Government
does not classify captured soldiers as POW. Domestically, they are
listed as "missing/captured" assuming they are listed at all.
We can not depend on the rules as outlined by the Geneva Conventions to
protect our military in harms way. That under Geneva Conventions these
brave young soldiers were considered POW means nothing. An enemy that
executes their prisoners has no regard for the Geneva Conventions.
It is up to the United States to place a value on our
captured and missing personnel. The designation currently used,
"missing/captured" fails to provide that value. The Department
of Defense must revert to the designation used since World War II and
beyond..... Prisoner of War.
We’ve often asked the question, Who wants to tell
Scott Speicher, Matt Maupin and now Ahmed K. Altaie, they are not
Prisoners of War?
Today, we ask another question, Who wants to tell the
families of Jacob N. Fritz, Johnathan B. Chism, Shawn P. Falter, and
Johnathon M. Millican they didn’t die as Prisoners of War? |
