The bodies of two U.S. soldiers kidnapped in Iraq more than a year ago have been found and sent back to the United States.
The remains of two U.S. soldiers kidnapped more than a year ago in Iraq were found and are back in the United States, according to the father of one of the soldiers.
The military has not yet issued a public confirmation, but Ramon “Andy” Jimenez said in a broadcast interview that officers visited his Lawrence, Massachusetts, home to tell him the body of his son, Sgt. Alex R. Jimenez, 25, was found.
The officers told Ramon “Andy” Jimenez that information from an informant led investigators to the remains of his son and those of Pvt. Byron W. Fouty, 19, of Waterford, Michigan, on Wednesday, Jimenez family friend Sandy Almonte said.
The senior Jimenez, a native of the Dominican Republic, said the military told him the soldiers’ remains were identified in the U.S. by their dental records.
The father said his son died for a cause he cared about.
“He decided since he was young to join the Army,” he said. “I’m very proud of my son.”
The military did not give the family any other details, such as where the bodies were found, Almonte said.
Gordon Dibler spoke of waiting for news of his stepson Army Pvt. Fouty after military officials came to his home, The Associated Press reported Thursday.
“Every day that he’s been missing has been a day of `what could have been’ … but after hearing the news … I’m still in shock,” Dibler said.
Major Dan Elliott with the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division confirmed to CNN that human remains were found in the division’s area of operation in Iraq. He said the remains were sent to the United States for positive identification.
This is a very sad example of why critics of harsh interrogation are so wrong. Critics often argue that we shouldn’t mistreat detainees because our soldiers will be mistreated if they’re captured. That’s total nonsense, because regardless of what we do, our enemies don’t observe the rules of war.
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