Soldier held in attack on his own camp in Kuwait

St. Petersburg Times ^ | March 23, 2003 | WES ALLISON

[yatros from flatwater]

CAMP PENNSYLVANIA, Kuwait -- A U.S. soldier was being held early today in connection with a grenade attack on the 101st Airborne Division's infantry brigade. The attack killed one and injured about 15 soldiers.

Eleven of the victims were airlifted to the combat support hospital in nearby Camp Udairi.

The sergeant, whose identity has not been released, was himself wounded either before or during his capture, Army officials said. Early this morning (late Saturday night in Florida), the sergeant was being questioned along with two Middle Eastern civilians, Army officials said. Authorities declined to say whether the two civilians were suspects.

Meanwhile, scouts scoured the desert on foot and in trucks for interlopers, and soldiers remained at high alert.

The attack is believed to be the first successful terrorist attack at the string of U.S. military camps along the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border since troops began arriving last fall.

The sergeant is with the engineering unit attached to the 2nd Battalion of the 327th infantry, commanders said.

"We think he's one of the guys," Maj. Pete Rooks said.

He appeared to have been shot in the legs during or before his capture.

The sergeant, an American and a practicing Muslim, had been guarding grenades during the midnight shift. He came under suspicion soon after the attack, when he -- and four grenades -- were missing.

By dawn today, the sergeant was being held in a Humvee about 100 yards from the tents he was suspected of attacking.

Many of the 4,000 infantrymen and support staff here were roused just before 1:30 a.m. by a deep, concussive blast.

Three grenades were thrown into tents at headquarters, and a fourth was rolled into the tent of brigade commander, Col. Ben Hodges. That grenade did not detonate. Hodges was struck by shrapnel in his right arm, but was later treated and returned to duty.

A smattering of small-arms fire followed the grenade blasts.

Camp guards rousted their colleagues, screaming that they were under attack.

At the cluster of tents in the 2nd Battalion, soldiers raced to a bunker and donned their gas masks, thinking the camp was under attack by mortar fire or other missiles.

A radioman in the bunker received a report, then shouted, "There's enemy in the camp! There's enemy in the camp!"

The camp was pitch dark at the time of the attack, and many soldiers did not have their night-vision goggles. They were scattered around the camp in concrete bunkers and had no clue from which way the enemy might be coming.

Soon squads of soldiers throughout the camp quietly began going tent to tent, their rifle barrels straight ahead, looking for anyone who might have sneaked inside to hide.

Commanders have long warned that terrorism was the biggest threat to U.S. forces massing at the camps for an invasion of Iraq, and the Army has taken steps to prevent such incidents.

All entrances to the six Army camps, Pennsylvania, Udairi, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Victory, are aggressively guarded and patrolled. Towers also are posted at and between each corner of the sand berm around the camps.

[yatros from flatwater]

Reported by a journalist "embedded" with the 101st in Kuwait. Best account I've seen so far.

[JOE6PAK]

The sergeant, an American and a practicing Muslim....ah yes...the religion of PEACE!

[Ken522]

I guess summary execution is too good for the scumbag.

[goldstategop]

Hope he gets the death penalty. And its appropriate he's unnamed. I wouldn't dignify the scum with recognition of feelings of kindred humanity.

[EYEWatchin]

This "soldier" deserves a public hanging!

[FreedomPoster]

Good - glad to see his "religious" affiation noted.

[FreedomPoster]

/affiation/affiliation/

Time to make coffee.

[Dante3]

Thanks for the post. Another example why it is important to be careful regarding who is permitted into our Armed Forces.

I hope we find the weapons of mass destrcution soon and just get our troops back home. We are still hanging around Afghanistan while our broders go unprotected.

[Pharmboy]

If this treasonous, murderous act does not get the death penalty, nothing will.

[DH]

So much for tolerance, diversity and political correctness. Hopefully this incident will put an end to this insane belief that profiling does not accomplish anything.

[leadpenny]

Soldier held in attack on his own camp in Kuwait

He should have been held very tightly around the neck for a very long time before the MPs showed up.

[GailA]

What happens to him next, after his court martial?

[FreedomPoster]

Hopefully, he and a piece of rope have a meeting.

[leadpenny]

Shares a cell with a couple of guys named Bruce and Cecil.

[alloysteel]

I thought the practice of "fragging" would end with the draft....

If a guy is going to have a bad attitude, what business does he have entering the military service? From what I understand, everybody there is a volunteer and entered into the contract with the US government without duress.

Prosecution under the Uniform Code of Military Justice should be instituted immediately. Unless this individual is one of a "dirty dozen", offered a chance to avoid prison by going on the front lines, and becoming the "canary" sent into the various warehouses in which Saddam has stockpiled quantities of VX, sarin, ricin or other banned chemical weapons. He might even survive. But he would have some picture of the enemy we have sworn, as a nation, to defeat.

[Vigilanteman]

If he is real cooperative and reveals the names of his cohorts and handlers, he will get a long drop with a 3/8" manila rope. Otherwise, he should get a short drop with a rope made of pig leather and be hauled up every thirty seconds or so to ask if he is willing to give new information.

[leadpenny]

My apologies to anyone who is really named Bruce or Cecil.

[Dane]

What happens to him next, after his court martial?

Probably the death penalty. Of course Chirac and the French will protest and demand that the UN Security Council decide his fate.

[Dante3]

The man should get the death penality. And quickly. Wonder if Rev. Jesse Jackson will run to his defense? Or is JJ too busy preparing for the golf course protest?

[EYEWatchin]

We are far too tolerant of the Muslims! This is going to bite us in the ass! The Muslims kill hundreds of people around the world every day and get a free pass from the American media!@