Former American Hostage Underwent Surgery During Iraqi Ordeal

[TacticalPeek]

May 4, 2004

Former American Hostage Underwent Surgery During Iraqi Ordeal

By Hannah Lobel
Associated Press Writer

LANDSTUHL, Germany (AP) - Thomas Hamill's kidnappers had surgery performed on his wounded arm during his three weeks of captivity in Iraq, an Army doctor said Tuesday.

snip

Maj. Kerry Jepsen, a surgeon treating Hamill, said his patient has lost a few pounds but feels "in generally good health" and would likely return home this week.

Hamill was shot in the arm and struck in the head with a rifle butt when his convoy was ambushed on April 9. He underwent surgery that cleaned away dead tissue after about a week in captivity, though it's unclear whether he was taken to a clinic or a doctor came to him, Jepsen told reporters. His bandages were changed daily and he got antibiotics.

His English-speaking captors initially "left him with some water and a couple packages of cookies," Jepsen said. "He did say he was fed regularly."

snip


http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAIK81DUTD.html

[Mattforclark]

1. The "insurgents" treat prisoners better than we do

apparently.

[daleo]

2. The resistance is winning the propaganda war here

No question. Not that I am saying they treated him well just for the propaganda advantage, though.

[THUNDER HANDS]

3. dang

Other than the whole, shooting him and kidnapping him part, the seemed like pretty cool guys.

[dedhed]

4. I guess if he were paraded around naked...

... with some psycho-tramp posing next to his pecker for a photo-op, we'd have heard about it by now?

:bounce:

[jdj]

5. So can anyone explain Kimmitt's quote that Hamill was

"ready to get back to work"?????

Bizarre, maybe he hit hid head on a few more microphones.

I heard earlier he will need 3 months of recovery, a skin graft, and possibly a bone plate or pin to fix his broken arm.

[ithacan]

6. you mean they didn't strip him naked and

put a bag over his head and have some Iraqi girl point at him mockingly?

How uncivilized these Iraqis are!

[Leezamarie]

15. These Muslims have no sense of fun

They are just so uptight and repressed. Don't drink or nothin'. Wierd. Never trust anyone who doesn't get legless regularly!

[krkaufman]

7. Interesting...

It *is* interesting how we keep trying to spin the prison abuse issue as an isolated incident, not representative of the military overall, yet the Falluja mutilations of the 4 mercenaries somehow branded all Fallujans.

[FlemingsGhost]

13. Excellent point!

Thank you.

[ret5hd]

8. Those BASTARDS...

I'll bet they were just trying to steal U.S. gov't property (the bullet in his arm)

[David__77]

9. Interesting.

The contrast between this and the Abu Ghraib treatment will be made repeatedly in the world press.

[Wind Dancer]

18. Unfortunately,

not mainstream media.

[ConcernedCanuk]

19. correction,, not "United States" mainstream media

.
.
.

The rest of the World is not letting this go.

Our CBC today added in the new charges of a Canadian Iraqi that has just initiated a suit against the US Army for alleged abuse.

Then showed a video clip (with audio) from a US helicopter film where 3 Iraqis were blown to bits, one while he was wounded and crawling across the ground

yup, they showed it all, very graphic, and you could hear the gunners cheering on the "kills".

This emphasizes the issue that this "newest" abuse is NOT an isolated incident.

The "snowball" or "domino" effect has begun.

The only country in the World that is going to get the wool pulled over its eyes is the United States.

That's how I see it anyways.

[riverwalker]

10. "they took good care of me"

is what I heard him say on CNN. We look like absolute barbarians.
Someone once asked Gandhi:
"What do you think of western civilization?"
He responded: "I think it would be a good idea".

[booksenkatz]

11. HEY! We do surgery, too!

Ummm, except we cut on places where there's nothing wrong... and um, we don't use anesthesia... and um, there's lots of giggling while it's going on... and um, we take photos..................

U.S. OUT OF IRAQ. NOW.

[damnraddem]

12. They had to perform the surgery where they were holding him, because ...

if they'd put him into an ambulance, the U.S. would have shot it up.

[Toucano]

14. Look for a new non-fiction bestseller

"The Hammill Diet: The Vital Role of Cookies in Weight Loss" coming soon! ;)

(I do acknowledge his ordeal. I just couldn't resist joking about it.)

[Leezamarie]

16. I believe Oprah has already called

to see if she can get the recipe and the rights.

[Politicub]

17. This is un-freaking-believable

The insurgents treat their prisoners better than we do!

Bush has wrecked America's standing in the world and upped the terrorist threat to Americans by 1000 percent. Just when I think it can't get much worse, it does.