Iraqi man escapes ISIS mass execution and lives to tell the tale

[koshgel]

DIWANIYA, Iraq — Ali Hussein Kadhim, an Iraqi soldier and a Shiite, was captured with hundreds of other soldiers by Sunni militants in June and taken to the grounds of a palace complex in Tikrit where Saddam Hussein once lived.

The militants, with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, separated the men by sect. The Sunnis were allowed to repent for their service to the government. The Shiites were marked for death, and lined up in groups.

Mr. Kadhim was No. 4 in his line.

Video: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/04/world/middleeast/surviving-isis-massacre-iraq-video.html?_r=1

The video gives a detailed account of his experience.

[bryant.coleman]

I am having some doubts about the whole incident. How the ISIS was able to separate the Shiites from the Sunnis? Both are the same people, speaking the same language. More likely, they rounded up all the captured Iraqi soldiers and then shot them dead. Most of them might have been Shiites, but some might have been Sunni Arab or Kurd. 

[Watoshi-Dimobuto]

That's what they get from their cowardice. If they fight and hold their ground. At least they can kill some ISIS. 3000 soldiers is not easy to defeat plus they are on their fortified camp.

[beetcoin]

i remember a lower level guy say that the commanders ran, and when the guys below them hear about it, they run for their lives too. iraq really lacked any kind of coherent leadership. i'm pretty sure ISIS was aware of them and seized the opportunity.

[Divinespark]

They are not motivated in the same way that the ISIS is
ISIS has a coherent narrative, the others don't. Fighting so that white folks don't have to die down the road is not a coherent narrative.

[cameltoe]

Obama should elect Bush for War Secretary. He's not the brightest candidate but warring is one of his better skill set.

[Watoshi-Dimobuto]

i remember a lower level guy say that the commanders ran, and when the guys below them hear about it, they run for their lives too. iraq really lacked any kind of coherent leadership. i'm pretty sure ISIS was aware of them and seized the opportunity.

They must shot anyone that run. And the highest ranking officer will take over. As simple as that.

[beetcoin]

i remember a lower level guy say that the commanders ran, and when the guys below them hear about it, they run for their lives too. iraq really lacked any kind of coherent leadership. i'm pretty sure ISIS was aware of them and seized the opportunity.

They must shot anyone that run. And the highest ranking officer will take over. As simple as that.

huh? all the officers ran.. who can shoot them down when everyone is panicking? the iraqi soldiers don't have anything they are passionate enough to fight for, so they end up running. most are probably doing what they do because they need money, just like this guy who escaped.

[bryant.coleman]

They are not motivated in the same way that the ISIS is ISIS has a coherent narrative, the others don't. Fighting so that white folks don't have to die down the road is not a coherent narrative.

Those Iraqi soldiers were mostly Shiite Arabs, who were stationed in a mostly Sunni area (Tikrit - Ramadi). They knew that almost all of the locals were supporting the ISIS. It is not easy to fight an enemy, when you know that the entire population in that region is against you. Here is one of the basic failures with the Iraqi army. Why there are no Sunni Arabs in the army?

[Spendulus]

Obama should elect Bush for War Secretary. He's not the brightest candidate but warring is one of his better skill set.

No evidence - none - exists of the intelligence level of Obama.  There is one very weak law review comment and two schizophrenic "poems."

You are comparing a "Nothing" against a "Something."

[koshgel]

I am having some doubts about the whole incident. How the ISIS was able to separate the Shiites from the Sunnis? Both are the same people, speaking the same language. More likely, they rounded up all the captured Iraqi soldiers and then shot them dead. Most of them might have been Shiites, but some might have been Sunni Arab or Kurd.  

They ask them specific questions. If they even hesitate, ISIS will shoot them. There is a video where they are asking three truck drivers if they are sunni or Shiite. They claimed sunni and then started asking questions. They slightly disagree about the way they pray and ISIS shot them all.