[piasa]

The people fleeing on the highway of death WERE COMBATANTS. They had not surrendered and were still in Saddam's military, carrying out a maneuver known as 'retreat.' Note, retreat is not surrender, nor is surrender retreat. In war you are never obligated to allow the enemy to retreat without hindrance. The reason you do not permit an unhindered retreat- but instead should pursue such retreating military personnel- is simple: if you permit an enemy to retreat at will, he will live to fight another day, and that may cost your army lives. Saddam had not surrendered- his intent was to continue to fight. As for the soldiers on the highway of death, those people lost their chance for mercy when they failed to surrender to US or allied troops.

[Nogbad]

Most of the people on the 'Highway of Death' were Iraqi civilians who had been sent in to run Kuwait.

They were rushing back with their cars and vans filled with loot, stereo sets, appliances, etc.