UN sounds alarm at Israel's 'severe violations' at key buffer zone with Syria    Thousands of protesters march in Paris ahead of tense football match between France and Israel    Republicans win 218 US House seats, giving Donald Trump control of government    FBI arrests alleged leaker of US intelligence documents related to Israel's Iran attack plans    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    Prophet's Mosque imam underscores Islam's core values at peace conference in India    Interior minister graces graduation ceremony at Naif Arab University for Security Sciences    Saudi, Indian foreign ministers co-chair Cooperation Committee meeting in New Delhi    198 new sites documented in the National Antiquities Register    Cityscape Global 2024: Saudi real estate sector booms with SR180 billion in new projects    PIF to sell 2% stake in stc via accelerated book-building    SAMA issues rules for opening electronic wallets    South Korean actor Song Jae Lim found dead at 39    TGA suspends 2 passenger transport applications and an application for food delivery    Don't sit on the toilet for more than 10 minutes, doctors warn    'Marvels of Saudi Orchestra' to dazzle audience in Tokyo on Nov. 22    Saudi Champion Saeed Al-Mouri scores notable feat in Radical World Championship in Abu Dhabi with support from Bin-Shihon Group    Rita Ora is tearful in tribute to Liam Payne at MTV Awards    France to deploy 4,000 police officers for UEFA Nations League match against Israel    Al Ahli continues strong form with 2-0 win over Al Raed in Saudi Pro League    Al Nassr edges past Al Riyadh with Mane's goal to move up to third    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Iraqi forces wage psychological war with militant corpses
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 09 - 02 - 2017

The flyblown corpses of Daesh militants have been rotting along a main street in north Mosul for two weeks, a health risk for passersby. Suicide bombers' belts beside the fighters can still explode, killing anyone nearby.
But the Iraqi army has no intention of burying the militants and hopes as many people as possible will get a good look at their blackened bodies, torn apart by bombs and bullets.
As Iraqi forces prepare to expand their offensive against Daesh from east to west Mosul, they want to stamp out any sympathy that residents may have for the group, which won instant support when it seized the vast city in 2014.
"We will leave the terrorists there," said Ibrahim Mohamed, a soldier who was standing near three dead militants, ignoring the stench.
His cousin suffered death by electrocution at the hands of militants during Daesh's harsh rule of Mosul because he was a policeman.
"The message is clear to Iraqis, to keep them from joining or supporting Daesh. This will be your fate. The Iraqi army will finish you off," he said.
A suicide bomber's belt, with its detonation pin still in place, lay in the street a few feet away, near some clothing once worn by a militant.
The Iraqi army has come a long way since it collapsed in the face of Daesh's lightning advance into northern Iraq. After retaking half of Mosul in three months of fighting, Iraqi forces are poised to enter the western side of the city.
Victory there would mean the end of Daesh's self-proclaimed caliphate, though Iraqi officials expect the group to fight on as insurgents in Iraq and inspire attacks in the West.
Psychological Weapon
The corpses are left on view as a psychological weapon to deter Daesh sleeper cells, which Iraqi officials say are highly effective and distributed across the country.
Daesh has executed thousands of Iraqi soldiers and policemen, and their comrades are eager for revenge.
"We leave them in the street like that so the dogs eat them," said soldier Asaad Hussein. "We also want the citizens to know there is a price for supporting terrorists."
Mosul had accused the Shiite-led Baghdad government and army of widespread abuses, which they deny.
Iraqi citizens don't seem to mind the gory sight of the bodies, with people walking past them every day as Mosul begins the work of rebuilding entire neighborhoods pulverized by Daesh car bombs and US-led air strikes.
Laborer Youssef Salim observed the corpses, still with army boots on their feet, and paused to reflect on life under Daesh, which has lost ground in Iraq and other Arab countries. He said the bodies should not be moved.
"Do you know what smoking one, just one cigarette meant?" he asked. "Twenty-five lashes in a public square where people were forced to watch you suffer.
"If your beard length did not meet their requirements, that was a month in jail and 100 lashes in public."
Spreading Fear
The militants are no longer in charge in east Mosul but they are still very capable of spreading fear.
Two men approached a soldier to complain that there were suspicious wires that may be attached to a bomb on a door at the factory where they work.
Minutes later, an increasingly familiar scene unfolded. Soldiers looked up and spotted a drone aircraft operated by Daesh militants, located about 600 meters away across the Tigris River, which bisects Mosul.
Iraqi forces opened fired with their assault rifles, hoping to blast the small aircraft — a Daesh weapon of choice — out of the sky before it could drop a bomb.
A few streets away, a group of young boys walked towards three more Daesh corpses.
"The bodies should stay. Daesh killed lots of people so why should they be buried," said Salem Jamil, 13, who was carrying a plastic bag filled with old electric wiring he hopes to sell.
But a man who approached said the bodies should be buried because that is everyone's right.
The three militants were shot when they tried to sneak through some trees to kill soldiers.
One of the soldiers stood proudly over the dead men, including one still wearing a suicide belt. He smiled and pointed to a cigarette stuffed in one of the militant's nostrils.
"We put it there because of the terrible things they did to Iraqis," said the soldier, Asaad Najif. "The fate of any terrorist is clear. We will find you and kill you." — Reuters


Clic here to read the story from its source.