Videotape Shows Execution in Street

A group headed by Jordanian militant Abu Musab Zarqawi released a video Saturday showing its fighters executing five captured Iraqi security officers in the street, the latest move in a campaign to intimidate Iraqis and target those who cooperate with U.S.-led forces.

Also Saturday, a U.S. soldier belonging to Task Force Baghdad was killed and another was wounded in a roadside explosion north of the capital, the military said. No other details were given.

A statement posted on an Islamist website along with the video denounces the five officers as “American dogs” and warns other Iraqis that they will meet the same fate if they join the security forces. In the video, the five men are seen lined up, their hands bound behind their backs, and shot in front of passersby.

Guerrillas have proved adept at managing the Internet as part of their fight against the United States and the interim government of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, posting footage of attacks on convoys and military bases, as well as executions of members of the Iraqi security forces or government officials.

The U.S. military and the interim government in Baghdad want the Iraqi police and national guard to provide security for Iraq’s elections this month, but mass desertions from those forces could scuttle such plans.

The video and statement -- issued by Al Qaeda in Iraq, the group led by Zarqawi -- did not say where the executions took place. But separate photos of the executions indicated they had occurred in the insurgent stronghold of Ramadi, west of Baghdad, on Dec. 26.

In the footage, one of the prisoners identified himself as Lt. Bashar Latif Jassim and said his mission was to “prevent terrorists from entering Iraq.”

When asked by one of his captors -- who did not appear on camera -- who the terrorists are, Jassim said: “Those who sabotage the country.”

The five prisoners, wearing civilian clothes, were shown sitting on the ground with five masked gunmen behind them, one reading a statement.

The video then showed the execution. After the men fell to the ground, the gunmen kicked them to see who was still alive, then pumped more bullets into the bodies.

People and cars are visible in the video, passing by during the shooting. Some stop to watch.