The Bush administration yesterday took the extraordinary step of publishing grisly photographs of two corpses in the hope of persuading Iraqis that Uday and Qusay Hussein were dead, despite the misgivings of senior officers who feared the decision set a dangerous precedent.
Release of the pictures, claimed to be of Saddam Hussein’s dead heirs, was held up by more than 24 hours by disagreements within the Pentagon over the wisdom making them public.
Another debate is under way in Washington and Baghdad over what to do with the two bodies, currently held at the US military camp at Baghdad airport. The administration is anxious not to create a shrine for diehard supporters of the ousted regime.
The military top brass was reluctant to approve release of the photographs, citing the military tradition of respecting enemy dead, concern over appearing to gloat over the bloody, damaged bodies, and fear of setting a precedent that could easily backfire for families of American soldiers. In the past, Washington has responded angrily to any publication of photographs of American dead.
But the Pentagon’s civilian leadership ordered the publication of the photographs, arguing that they would help convince sceptical Iraqis that the brothers — two of the most feared figures of Saddam’s regime — were dead and therefore sap the will of resistance groups fighting a guerrilla war against US troops.
”It was not a snap decision. It’s something that had to be gone through quite carefully,” said the defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. ”This is an unusual situation … this regime has been in power for decades. These two individuals are particularly vicious. They are now dead and the Iraqi people are awaiting confirmation of that and deserve confirmation of that.”
He said the step outweighed any sensitivity over showing the corpses because it would help convince frightened Iraqis that Saddam’s rule was over. ”I feel it was the right decision, and I’m glad I made it,” he said in Washington.
The photographs portray the bodies of the two men laid out on body bags, shown from the chest upwards. The face of the man said to be Uday has a diagonal purple gash across it, and blood spattered over his shaven head. Both men have black bushy beards, possibly a disguise or perhaps just a reflection of more than four months on the run.
Initial reaction in Iraq and across the Arab world appeared ambivalent, with some accepting the pictures as conclusive proof. Others remained sceptical. One Iraqi newspaper claimed to have conducted an instant poll, in which 80% of Iraqis questioned said they thought the pictures were a fabrication.
US authorities in Baghdad offered further evidence yesterday, inviting members of the American-backed Iraqi governing council to view the bodies at the city’s airport. X-ray photographs of Uday’s body were also released, showing old injuries from a 1996 assassination attempt. Military officials said photographers and cameramen would be allowed to take their own pictures today.
However, there were clear signs that the decision to release the photographs cut against the grain of US military culture. Serving officers did not comment, but Colonel Dan Smith, a retired military intelligence officer, said: ”We have a tradition of respecting the dead … We objected to the showing of bodies of American servicemen. It’s kind of ironic that we turn around and display dead folks now.”
The Bush administration pointed out that publishing the photographs did not contravene the Geneva conventions. But in March, when dead US soldiers were shown by Iraqi television and Arab networks, Washington condemned the broadcasts. General John Abizaid, now commander of US troops across the Middle East, described them as ”disgusting”.
Three more American soldiers died in the continuing guerrilla war yesterday. They were members of the 101st Airborne Division, which led Tuesday’s assault on a house in Mosul where the brothers were reported killed. Yesterday’s casualties were killed in an ambush near Mosul. It took place on the day an Arab TV network broadcast a statement by Saddam supporters vowing to avenge the deaths.
Paul Bremer, US civil administrator in Iraq, said revenge attacks were predictable, but added: ”I think this will in time help reduce the threat to our security forces. It will ultimately encourage more Iraqis to come forward to give more information about more Ba’athists.” – Guardian Unlimited Â