WMD Rumsfeld calls the lion accusation by the two Iraqi men "far-fetched"

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N15501848.htm

Army probes whether U.S. put Iraqis in lion cage

WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The Army said on Tuesday it was looking into whether U.S. forces in Iraq put prisoners in a cage with lions in 2003, but Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called the accusation by two Iraqi men "far-fetched."

Two Iraqi businessmen, Sherzad Khalid and Thahe Sabbar, made the allegation as part of a lawsuit against Rumsfeld and top U.S. military commanders in Iraq filed by two rights groups, the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights First.

The men contend U.S. jailers took them to a cage containing lions on the grounds of a presidential palace in Baghdad during an interrogation seeking some sort of a confession, forced them into the cage entrance then pulled them back and shut the cage door when the lions approached.

Army spokesman Paul Boyce said officials were trying to determine whether such an incident took place, but added that the Army had not launched a formal criminal investigation.


Hey Donald. Is this far fetched too?

'Drunk' U.S. soldier shoots rare tiger in Baghdad zoo

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/v4/sub/MarketingPage?user_URL=http://www.theglobeandmail.com%2Fservlet%2Fstory%2FRTGAM.20030920.wmaul0920%2FBNStory%2FInternational&ord=1132095921331&brand=theglobeandmail&force_login=true

Baghdad — A U.S. soldier shot and killed an endangered tiger at the Baghdad zoo after it bit another soldier who had drunkenly reached through the bars of its cage to feed it, a security guard said Saturday.

The soldiers had been drinking beer when they entered the zoo Thursday night after it closed, said the guard, Zuhair Abdul-Majeed. After the man was bit, the other American shot the tiger three times in the head and killed it, he said.

The head of the zoo confirmed the story in an interview with Agence France-Presse.

"The soldiers arrived in the evening with food and beer, accompanied by a group of Iraqi police officers," Adel Salman Musa said. "One of the soldiers, who the Iraqi police said had drunk a lot, went into the cage against the advice of his colleagues and tried to feed the animal, who severely hurt his arm."

[MisterP]

1. well, who do you think we call * Nero?

[tocqueville]

4. facts on the Uday lions here

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/10/1002_031002_iraqlions.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/06/0604_030604_udayslions.html

obviously they were still in Iraq in June 2003 but monitored by Wildlife activists. The abuse is said to have happened in July.

There were 10 lions at the Zoo.

But it's not impossible that the soldiers had access to the lions outside the monitoring and used them to scare prisoners

[rzemanfl]

2. This explains why the tiger was not used for interogations. n/t

[LSK]

3. i'd like to thank Rummy for confirming the story

Everything he says is 100% opposite from the truth. Now we know its a true story. Thanks Dummy.

[katty]

5. very Romanesque type torture-probably true

[bahrbearian]

6. We know there are lions in Iraq, They are somewhat north, south

east or west of Bagdad.

[SaintLouisBlues]

7. But I don't think there were very many lions...

the media just kept showing the same lion over and over.

[bahrbearian]

9. The News Networks keep showing the same lion running

through the streets with the same Detainee,,, how many detainees are there in Bagdad?

[Kahuna]

8. LOL! Translation = "Far-fetched," but probably true.

:crazy: