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| Iraq |
| Those two soldiers killed while on patrol with Iraqi trainees? It happened in June 2004 |
| 2006-06-22 |
| The Pentagon waited nine months after completing an investigation into the deaths of two U.S. soldiers before notifying relatives the men were killed by Iraqi troops, the military acknowledged Wednesday. The June 2004 deaths of Army Spc. Patrick R. McCaffrey Sr., 34, of Tracy, and 2nd Lt. Andre D. Tyson, 33, of Riverside, were originally attributed to an ambush during a patrol near Balad, Iraq. The Army said this week a military investigation found the two had been shot by Iraqi civil defense officers. No possible motive has been divulged. Soldiers who witnessed the attack have told Nadia McCaffrey two Iraqi patrolmen opened fire on her son's unit. The witnesses also said a third gunman simultaneously drove up to the American unit in a van, climbed onto the vehicle and fired at the Americans, she said. Iraqi forces who had trained with the Americans had fired at them twice before the incident that killed Patrick McCaffrey, and he had reported it to his superiors, Nadia McCaffrey said. One of the trainees has been arrested and imprisoned by the Iraqi government, according to Boyce, but he could not say which prison or when he was arrested. The second trainee is believed to be dead, according to a military official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information has not been made public. A Pentagon spokesman knew of no other incident like the shootings. Boyce said the U.S. military remained confident in its operations with Iraqis. McCaffrey and Tyson were assigned to the Army National Guard's 579th Engineer Battalion based in Petaluma. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #3 good point, RD. |
| Posted by: 2b 2006-06-22 19:02 |
| #2 Interesting that it took almost 2 years [june 2004] even though Americans soldiers witnessed the deed to investigate and notify the the families of this particular treachery, yet it only took the REMFs less than 2 months to charge our Marines for murder. Soldiers who witnessed the attack have told Nadia McCaffrey two Iraqi patrolmen opened fire on her son's unit. The witnesses also said a third gunman simultaneously drove up to the American unit in a van, climbed onto the vehicle and fired at the Americans, she said. Iraqi forces who had trained with the Americans had fired at them twice before the incident that killed Patrick McCaffrey, and he had reported it to his superiors, Nadia McCaffrey said. Isn't this the same MO reportedly used by Iraqi soldiers in the latest murder of 3 of our NG soldiers in the so called triangle of death? another link, same story |
| Posted by: RD 2006-06-22 17:49 |
| #1 For it's size, that unit has been hit hard, but their performance remains high. The epitome of citizen soldiers. |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2006-06-22 16:50 |