About those two missing soldiers ...

[BobcatJH]

Remember the heartless Tony Snow worrying more about the coverage of the "good news" as opposed to the two missing soldiers?

The thing is the way the war is being covered - and we've seen it right now, we have two U.S. servicemen, and god bless them, we hope they're okay. We're focusing on them and we forget that since Zarqawi was killed, hundreds of bad guys have been rounded up, there has been a lot of intelligence. The Iraqis have gone ahead mobilized 50,000 men going in the five Baghdad neighborhoods. There is a lot going on there.

I suppose this bit of news gets in the way of the White House's goodtimes-are-here-again, al-Qaida-is-on-the-run message:

An umbrella group linked to al-Qaida in Iraq claimed Monday that it had kidnapped two American soldiers reported missing south of Baghdad, where 8,000 Iraqi and U.S. troops were conducting a massive search.

I can't wait to see how the pro-torture caucus within the Republican Party reacts to the news that those potentially affiliated with those we abused at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay have two of our own. So much, sadly, for having the moral superiority to demand fair treatment for the detainees.

[INDIA]

1. I'm praying hard for these guys

But I have a bad feeling. How the hell could U.S soldiers be abducted by these thugs anyway?

[MemphisTiger]

3. I think their convoy was attacked thenthey were taken prisoner

one other soldier was killed during the attack. They are in my prayers as well as their families. We have people that are very good at recovering hostages, hopefully they can help them.

[INDIA]

5. It wasn't a convoy...

It was a checkpoint. And apparently, manned by only THREE soldiers and out of site of the rest of their unit. That does not sound wise at all, that's what I'm questioning here.

Also, I'm sure these kids have had it drummed into their heads dozens of times that getting captured is worse than getting KIA. These aren't German POW camps here.

[MADem]

6. From what I understand, there were three Hummers at the checkpoint

The whole thing was planned out. Some guys in a car started acting suspiciously; two vehicles gave chase, leaving one behind, a third vehicle pulled up and started shooting and grabbed the two personnel that survived.

[INDIA]

8. Thanks for the info...

That makes more sense. Still a horrible situation though.

[Virginia Dare]

9. What are the odds that this is a trap...

if in fact it was not made up by the Pentagon, all of this "evidence" found on Zarqawi's body, something tells me all of this could be inter-related.

[TomInTib]

10. That's the story, and, if accurate, a major screw-up.

How the heck they drove off and left those poor guys backe up to a confluence of two canals is just mind-boggling to anyone who has ever been in a combat situation.

Those guys didn't stand a chance.

And there were NO NCOs on site. Two Pfc's and a Spc.

[Bandit]

11. One of them is a woman

I hope and pray we don't see one of our daughters being tortured or beheaded because of the GOP..

[MADem]

13. No, both are male

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3981775.html

BAGHDAD, IRAQ - One of two soldiers missing and reportedly held captive by insurgents in Iraq is from Houston.

The Defense Department identified the man as Army Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23.

Menchaca and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore., were apparently kidnapped Friday night in an attack on a checkpoint outside the restive town of Yusufiya. The Pentagon said Spc. David J. Babineau, 25, of Springfield, Mass., was killed in the attack.

[Jacobin]

2. When 'good news' is escalation of the fighting

then Tony's little spin on how great Iraq is going is pretty worthless.

The 25% who still believe Viet Nam could have been won are the same people who think more counter-insurgency measures will work to conquer Iraq and make it a pliable U.S. puppet. They are delusional.

[FrankLee]

4. They will be tortured and killed

And then we will get all outraged about their brutality. So, are these two soldiers prisoners of war or just "enemy combatants?"

[Igel]

14. American soldiers.

Which is to say, the enemy.

There is no POW or 'enemy combatants' outside of how you interpret the GCs. If you don't have the GCs as an authority, it makes your life much simpler.

On edit: Damn, I'm still not in charge of those rebellious apostrophes. Down! Down, I say! Grrrr '''

[Virginia Dare]

7. Personally, I don't think the timing of all of this is coincidental...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=1458596

[Vinca]

12. I'm so worried about the 2 soldiers. I'm so afraid we'll be getting

a Nick Berg-style tape. King George has instituted policies against the "evil doers" that guarantees these 2 young guys will be treated in the worst possible way.