Al Qaeda Video Shows Execution of Iraqi Army Officers

CAIRO, Egypt – An Al Qaeda umbrella group in Iraq posted a video tape on Saturday showing the execution of five kidnapped Iraqi army officers.

The tape, posted by the Islamic State of Iraq, shows a masked gunman shooting the blindfolded officers in the back of the head with a pistol. The officers' hands are bound behind their backs during the shooting.

"We give (U.S. President George W.) Bush another slap to wake him up from his myths and dreams," an unknown voice said on the video before the execution was shown. The video was not possible to independently verify, but it was posted on an Internet clearinghouse known for showing extremist material.

In the video, each of the five officers, who were seated in front of the camera and dressed in uniform, said their name, military rank, where they were abducted and advised fellow Iraqi national guards to quit their job.

"I advise the police and the army to quit this job, because it's against the Islamic State," one of the young officers said. He said that he was kidnapped in Baqouba, 56 kilometers (35 miles) north of Baghdad.