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U.S. soldiers' bodies mutilated, booby-trapped
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YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSBAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The bodies of two U.S. soldiers found in Iraq Monday night were mutilated and booby-trapped, military sources said Tuesday. Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston, Texas, and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25, of Madras, Oregon, went missing after a Friday attack on a traffic control checkpoint in Yusufiya, 12 miles (20 kilometers) south of Baghdad. The sources said the two men had suffered severe trauma. (Watch how bodies were recovered -- 2:14) The bodies also had been desecrated and a visual identification was impossible -- part of the reason DNA testing was being conducted to verify their identities, the sources said. A tip from Iraqi civilians led officials to the bodies, military sources told CNN. The discovery was made about 7:30 p.m. Monday. Not only were the bodies booby-trapped, but homemade bombs also lined the road leading to the victims, an apparent effort to complicate recovery efforts and target recovery teams, the sources said. It took troops 12 hours to clear the area of roadside bombs. One of the bombs exploded, but there were no injuries. The bodies were found in the Yusufiya area, said U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, adding he believed the soldiers were mortally wounded, then moved. It was unclear whether he meant the wounds were suffered in the initial attack on a checkpoint or afterward. "Where we found them was not based on their own movements," Caldwell said. The soldiers' families have been notified of the developments, he said. The bodies were transferred to a coalition base and were to be taken to the United States for DNA testing. A high-ranking official with the Iraqi defense ministry earlier offered a conflicting account, telling CNN the soldiers' bodies were found Saturday in Jurf al-Sakhar town about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad. Group claims killingsA claim posted on a Web site Tuesday said the soldiers were "slaughtered" in accordance with "God's will." "We announce the good news to our Islamic nation that we executed God's will and slaughtered the two crusader animals we had in captivity," said the claim, reportedly from the Mujahedeen Shura Council, a group linked to al Qaeda. "And God has given our Emir, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, the good fortune of carrying out the legitimate court's command in person." The U.S. military believes al-Muhajer is another name for Abu Ayyub al-Masri, an Egyptian-born terrorist who it believes has replaced Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, killed in a U.S. airstrike earlier this month, as leader of al Qaeda in Iraq. CNN could not independently verify the claim, but the Web site frequently has carried such messages from insurgent groups. Asked whether he gives credibility to a Monday claim by the same group that it had abducted the soldiers, Caldwell said, "Absolutely not." Earlier, military spokesman Maj. William Wilhoite said he did not know whether the bodies showed signs of torture. "I haven't heard anything through our official channels," he said. The U.S. military said Spc. David J. Babineau, 25, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was killed in the Friday attack, after which Menchaca and Tucker went missing. Asked to provide more information about the attack, Caldwell said the military would provide details after making sure the soldiers' families were fully apprised about the incident. Families 'devastated'Menchaca's aunt told CNN the family had been notified of his death. Menchaca's uncle, Mario Vasquez, said family members were distraught and were waiting to receive the body before making any arrangements. Earlier, some family members heard of a possible discovery through the media, before being notified by the military, Vasquez said. He called for the military to retaliate swiftly against the kidnappers. "I wish they'd punish the people that do these kinds of things right away, instead of taking forever and spending millions of dollars," Vasquez said. "I think you capture them, make them pay for what they did. Don't think that it's just two more soldiers. Don't negotiate anything. They [the killers] didn't." Another of Menchaca's uncles, Ken MacKenzie, lashed out at the government on NBC's "Today Show," saying it didn't do enough to bring the men home safe, The Associated Press reported. (Full story) A force of more than 8,000 Iraqi and U.S. troops searched for the two soldiers. Searchers initially found a body thought to be that of one of the soldiers, Caldwell said, but turned out not to be. Caldwell said troops used unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, boats and dive teams in the search. One coalition soldier was killed and 12 were wounded during the search operations, he said. Two "anti-Iraqi elements" were killed and another 78 suspected insurgents have been detained, he said. The Oregon National Guard released a statement on behalf of the Tucker family Tuesday afternoon. "At this time, the family is devastated at the news their son may have been killed," the statement said. "They ask for continuing respect for their privacy now at this time of difficulty." The three soldiers involved in Friday's attack were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the military said. CNN's Barbara Starr, Cal Perry, and Ed Lavandera contributed to this report. Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. 
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