Twin Iraqi Suicide Bombings Update

I had previously reported (being the most recent) that two women who were involved in a double suicide bombing that killed more than 100 people had Down's Syndrome. That was based on numerous reports from multiple sources.

Well, it turns out that after further investigation, while both women had suffered from some form of mental illness, neither had Down's Syndrome. The reporting that the two had Down's Syndrome may have come from examining photos of the two women after the blasts:

A U.S. military spokesman for the Baghdad area, Lt. Col. Steve Stover, also said at the time that medical experts with his division had examined the photos and agreed the women probably suffered from the genetic disorder. "They were both females and they both looked like they had Down syndrome," Stover said on Feb. 2.

A cell phone image of one of the heads viewed by The Associated Press was inconclusive.

There was speculation that the heads could have been distorted by the blast, leading police initially to believe they had Down syndrome.

On Wednesday, Smith backed away from the claim about Down syndrome while responding to a question concerning the psychiatric histories of the two bombers.

"Both had recently received psychiatric treatment for depression and/or schizophrenia. From what we know now there's no indication that they had Down syndrome," Smith said, citing records obtained by the military.

None of this takes away from the heinous actions of the jihadis behind the attack who put these women in a position to cause so much carnage. One of the doctors who may have been involved in their treatment is in custody for allegedly putting al Qaeda onto these two women.