Poignant

Picture released by the U.S. Army Tuesday, May 3, 2005 shows a U.S. Army soldier comforting a child fatally wounded in a car bomb blast in Mosul, 360 km (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, May 2, 2005. 15 Iraqis were wounded in the combined suicide bomb attack. (AP Photo/U.S. Army)

Hat tip to one of the uber-bloggers, Little Green Footballs.

UPDATE:  Courtesy of Jack Lewis, we learn the photographer is a blogger and writes the following about the picture:

Major Mark Bieger found this little girl after the car bomb that attacked our guys while kids were crowding around. The soldiers here have been angry and sad for two days. They are angry because the terrorists could just as easily have waited a block or two and attacked the patrol away from the kids. Instead, the suicide bomber drove his car and hit the Stryker when about twenty children were jumping up and down and waving at the soldiers. Major Bieger, I had seen him help rescue some of our guys a week earlier during another big attack, took some of our soldiers and rushed this little girl to our hospital. He wanted her to have American surgeons and not to go to the Iraqi hospital. She didn't make it. I snapped this picture when Major Bieger ran to take her away. He kept stopping to talk with her and hug her.

The soldiers went back to that neighborhood the next day to ask what they could do. The people were very warming and welcomed us into their homes, and many kids were actually running up to say hello and to ask soldiers to shake hands.

Eventually, some insurgents must have realized we were back and started shooting at us. The American soldiers and Iraqi police started engaging the enemy and there was a running gun battle. I saw at least one IP who was shot, but he looked okay and actually smiled at me despite the big bullet hole in his leg. I smiled back.

One thing seems certain; the people in that neighborhood share our feelings about the terrorists. We are going to go back there, and if any terrorists come out, the soldiers hope to find them. Everybody is still very angry that the insurgents attacked us when the kids were around. Their day will come.

Comments

[Pr Bill otf]

Rick:

Thank you for posting this powerful picture and the commentary describing it. I shared the picture with my wife who teaches high school photojournalism. She is planning on using it in her classes as a teaching tool,
both for the technical aspects of photojournalism and as a discussion starter on the horror of war. Many of her students live below the poverty level and make marginal grades. The military is often their only choice of escape. Hopefully they will better know what they may face in their career and can begin to prepare for it.

For me the picture brought back memories of other pictures. The fire fighter carrying a baby from the devastation of the Murrah building in OKC. The young girl who had been napalmed in Viet Nam running down the road. A wonderful opportunity to pause and pray for Major Bieger and his troops, for the family of the little girl, for all who live in the horror of war and man's cruelty.

[Kate]

Who could critize our soldiers after seeing a picture like this? They are the some of the greatest people to walk the planet. God bless them.