Soldiers Bodies Found -- Amnesty Questions Linger

It was a US ordnance team that recovered the bodies of Pfc Thomas Tucker of Madras, OR and Pfc Kristian Menchaca of Houston, TX. Their mutiliated bodies had been booby-trapped with IEDs. US forces spotted the bodies at dusk, but had to wait until dawn to see the traps set for them.

The two young soldiers were kidnapped after a firefight over the weekend. No US military spokesman will go into detail as to what condition their bodies were in, other than saying they'd been tortured and beheaded. Drawing the line at that gives you an idea of what they didn't want to talk about. The military is relying on DNA to identify the remains.

Amnesty for Insurgents

This brutality comes just one week after five US Senators spoke in support of the idea of amnesty for insurgents, to bring peace and stability to Iraq.

The idea was floated by an Iraqi government aide -- later fired for even suggesting it. But before that happened, the "Gang of Five" spoke in favor of forgiveness:

• “If they bore arms against our people, what's the difference between those people that bore arms against the Union in the War between the States? What’s the difference between the Germans and Japanese and all the people we’ve forgiven?” -- Sen Ted Stevens (R-AK)

• "Forgiveness has been a major factor in what has been a political miracle in Africa." -- Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), comparing the idea of forgiving insurgents and terrorists to the Nobel Peace Prize winning efforts of Nelson Mandela

• “Is it not true today that we have Iraqis who are fighting the war against the insurgents, who at one time fought against American troops and other coalition troops as they were marching to Baghdad, who have now come over to our side and are doing one heck of a job of fighting along, side by side, with Americans and coalition forces, attacking and killing insurgents on a daily basis?" -- Sen Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)

• “…Might it not just be as useful an exercise to be trying to pass a resolution commending the Iraqi government for the position that they’ve taken today with regard to this discussion of Amnesty?” Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

• John Cornyn (R-TX) joined McConnell in supporting the idea of praising the Iraqi government for the idea of forgiving insurgents and terrorists who've killed American troops.
  

The idea would have pardoned the people responsible for killing or wounding roughly 20,000 Americans. (WashPost/RawStory)