It is being reported accross the world that the Iraqis have captured 12 soldiers, although as many as 4 or 5 may be dead. These were members of an army maintenance unit. Haven't seen this posted anywhere else...
I'm glad they aren't showing the video on CNN or Fox News, it seems pretty gruesome from the accounts of the reporters who are watching it on Arab TV.
I was just reading about some of this on the BBC site. According to their reports, one of the captured was a woman and she (along with another soldier) appeared to be injured. How awful for these soldiers and their families. This kind of stuff just makes me feel sick when I think about it. I pray that they are treated well and can return home safely and quickly.
It appears that I may have been mixing two stories...It might be that there are 12 prisoners as well as 4 or 5 fatalities. The reports are a bit confusing...does anyone have a link to a clear version of this? Also, the BBC is saying that, in addition to the UK accidentally figher shot down by the US, there might be another missing US fighter plane...
The BBC story: Iraqi TV shows US prisoners Four prisoners were shown on Iraqi TV The prisoners were asked to identify themselves Iraqi television has broadcast a video of five American soldiers it says were captured in the southern city of Nasiriya. It also showed pictures of at least four bodies, said to be dead American soldiers. Some were lying on the ground near a tank. Two of the captured, including a 30-year-old woman, appeared to have been wounded. One of the men was lying on the floor on a rug. The five, who are believed to be the first coalition prisoners taken by Iraq, were questioned on air and gave their names, military identification numbers and home towns. Two of them identified themselves as "Edgar from, Texas", "James Reilly, 31, from New Jersey" and Joseph Hasan from El-Paso, Texas. Some said they were from the 507th maintenance company. The Americans were also asked to give their views of the war. One said he "came to shoot only if I am shot at." "They don't bother me, I don't bother them," he added. The prisoner who identified himself as Joseph Hasan said: "I follow orders". When asked how many officers were in his unit, he replied that he didn't know. US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the Iraqi television footage was a violation of the Geneva Convention. The 10-minute video, which was relayed by the Arab satellite station al-Jazeera, was shown on Sunday 1523 GMT.
I hope Al-Jazeera and his soldiers enjoy their final days, because when the coalition gets there they won't be taking any prisoners.
Al-Jazeera is a television station -- they don't have soldiers. And the coalition has been taking prisoners of war as well.
...additionally, the coalition is there, else there would have been no prisoners for the Iraqis to take.
AH, thanks for clearing that up for me! About Al-Jazeera. And that makes sense, if that's the case, the coalition would have to be there. There is a massive search going on so that's good news.
The Iraqis tried to do this last time, too. For some godawful reason they appear to think that showing obviously tortured POWs on TV will garner them world support... It backfired then and it will backfire now. We will still take prisoners.
Al Jazeera is for audiences other than just the Iraqi people. They obviously gave Al Jazeera a tape, which means they wanted the world to see it. Likely, specifically, the Arab world. The Arab street will be heartened by this. They only b**** about Geneva Convention violations when it is Westerners who violate them. For some odd reason, they appear to be happy when Arabs violate them. If it was just for Iraqi audiences, then they would only have broadcast it on Iraqi TV.
Why would Iraq execute American POW's and say it on TV when Iraq is desperately trying to get world public opinion on their side?
Is there any evidence that there were executions, or is this just speculation? If it is just supposed because some of them are dead, it should be remembered that they were captured during a military engagement. If the Iraqi's aren't reporting that they excecuted soldiers, where would our information about that have come from so soon? Does anyone have a link to the reports of execution/torture?
If the soldiers appear to have been beaten, then that is a sign of torture. Also, beating them in front of the camera is a pretty good indication of torture as well. Bullet wounds to the front or back of the head (as the bodies show) are signs of execution.
1) What can be discerned to be signs of 'beating' that couldn't be much more easily explained by combat troops having been captured during a military engagement? Bruising? Bleeding? I don't see how that could be anything but a huge leap of reasoning. 2) Clearly if they beat them on-camera, that would be proof...but were that the case I doubt that the source of current US complaints on the matter would be having taken their pictures. 3) Really hard to say without knowing the nature of the engagement in which they were taken. Shots are often aimed high, particularly by nervous or inexperienced troops, and head shots are by no means uncommon in small arms engagements.
