Today is a day to remember for 41 al Qaeda torture victims as the US, working on tips from locals, saved their lives by raiding what turned out to be an al Qaeda prison:

U.S. forces freed at least 41 kidnapped Iraqis, some of whom had been tortured and suffered broken bones, during a raid this morning on an Al Qaeda hideout east of Baghdad, the military said.

Details of the raid were still trickling in to the U.S. command in Baghdad today.

Acting on a tip from a local resident, U.S. forces in violence-wracked Diyala province raided a location they said was being used as an Al Qaeda prison.

Some of the victims gave harrowing accounts of having been hung from the ceiling and tortured, said Lt. Col. Chris Garver, a military spokesman in Baghdad. Evidence of abuse and broken limbs among the individuals appeared to back up their account.

Some of the captives said they had been held for as long as four months, Garver said. The victims ranged in age, with one stating that he was 14.

For those who confuse aggressive interrogation techniques used by the US with torture, I am sure this story will expose how al Qaeda typically handles their prisoners. Someone should also remind the Surrendercrats this kind of action is not possible if we retreat to Okinawa while we ‘look’ for al Qaeda in Iraq. These 41 people are grateful the Surrendercrats did not succeed in chasing America from Iraq.