Many US casualties in Nassiriya battle; Footage of POWs, including woman, shown on Iraqi TV

Al Bawaba ^ | 23-03-2003, 16:47

[Lessismore]

On Sunday afternoon, the Qatar-based television al Jazeera broadcast Iraqi TV, showing a videotape of at least 10 US POWs, including one female soldier, and a room with some 15 bodies of US troops. The live broadcast included also a footage of a battle field area in the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriya with additional corpses of US soldiers as well as struck military equipment.

The videotape has also shown how the Iraqis investigate the American POWs. The prisoners were questioned on air and gave their names, military identification numbers and home towns.

The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Air Force conceded that there were American soldiers missing, but said that there were fewer than 10 troops unaccounted for in southern Iraq.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld warned Sunday it was possible that Iraqi forces had taken U.S. prisoners, saying there were unaccounted soldiers and journalists in the combat zone.

He noted that under the Geneva Conventions governing prisoners of war, "It's illegal to do things to POWs that are humiliating to those prisoners."

Earlier, it was reported that U.S. Marines battled for control of Nassiriya, taking "significant" casualties in a fight to open a route north to Baghdad, military officials said.

Reuters quoted military officials as saying the Marine battalion spearheading the fight had suffered significant casualties in the battle.

A total of 11 U.S. soldiers were captured after taking a wrong turn, and 50 military personnel have been wounded in the massive firefight in Nassiriya, ABCNEWS reported Sunday.

According to the report, 11 soldiers, maintenance workers, had taken a wrong turn outside the city on a mission to carry out repair work. They were traveling in a column of vehicles that came under heavy fire, including from an Iraqi tank. The capture was observed by other forces nearby.

The firefight at Nassiriya blocked an advance by U.S. forces, who had earlier reported securing two key bridgeheads to enable them to cross the Euphrates and strike northwards toward the Iraqi capital.

Reuters said there was heavy U.S. helicopter traffic over the area, and that hundreds of U.S. military trucks and armored personnel carriers had stopped their advance.

Iraqi Information Minister Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf told a news conference in Baghdad that foreign invaders headed to Nassiriya had been "taught a lesson they will never forget." "We have placed them in a quagmire from which they can never emerge except dead," he said. (Albawaba.com)

[Codie]

Deal with fact.Where was she wrong?

[StarFan]

Askel5 is a pig and will always be a pig.

No wonder she has so much trouble finding a man.

Good grief did either of you ever meet her? She's been banned and cannot defend herself so why don't you both give it a rest and stop the personal attacks as they make you look quite small.

[sinkspur]

I thought the banning of Catholicguy was unwarrented, and I think the same about banning askel.

CatholicGuy was banned for trashing George W. Bush in a manner I've never seen. Askel5 was banned for asserting that our soldiers don't deserve the protection of the Geneva Convention.

You can still get into throwdowns with Mormons, and with RnMomof7 on the religion thread.

Why would you want to court anti-Americanism on this website?

[Gore_ War_ Vet]

Oh well look who is back....

I can't tell you how flattered I am that you noticed.
Mmmmmwaaaa!!! Stay special sweetie!
;^)

[sinkspur]

She's been banned and cannot defend herself so why don't you both give it a rest and stop the personal attacks as they make you look quite small.

Sure she can. Go over to Liberty Forum, the Biker Bar. I'm taking her on over there, too.

Do you think our soldiers should be denied the rights of the Geneva Convention? Askel did.

[StarFan]

Do you think our soldiers should be denied the rights of the Geneva Convention? Askel did. Of course I do NOT agree with her sink. I just feel the personal attacks are totally uncalled for.

[Catspaw]

Stuff it, buddy. We've both been subjected to Askel5's abuse. I'm glad the Saddam & Taliban defender is out of here.

Are you one of her pals on LP?

[Neets]

I know Starfan and she is definitely not in the same category as Askel....

I understand and agree with her comments about "finding a man".

Askel has continually pushed the envelope, she admits to it herself more or less as we speak, on LP.

I called her on the carpet about her remarks about our POW's and the GC...but really, to comments about ones dating/mating abilities does not make one sound/look reasonable or mature

[Neets]

...and my comment to Askel that she ESADB..probably wasn't mature either, but based on where I am employed, I know that quite a few graduates that I know are currently deployed in Iraq and so I took her comments regarding the treatment of our soldiers rather personally.

[sinkspur]

I just feel the personal attacks are totally uncalled for.

Why a woman as attractive as Askel5 can't seem to link up with a mate (she says she wants one) has always puzzled me.

Doesn't it puzzle you?

[sinkspur]

I understand and agree with her comments about "finding a man".

Askel's a very attractive woman. She has told me, numerous times, that "there's nobody out there for me."

It ain't her looks that are making men allergic.

[StarFan]

Stuff it, buddy. We've both been subjected to Askel5's abuse

Show me a thread in which she called you a PIG and I'll stuff it, buddy.

[Nita Nuprez]

I just feel the personal attacks are totally uncalled for.

Then consider yourself in the huge minority around here.

Personally, I've been waiting for this day for a long time -- for about five years and five days, give or take a few. I'm trying not to be too gleeful, but that's proving to be very difficult.

[Neets]

Maybe so Sinks...but her attractiveness to the opposite sex, or lack thereof, is of no concern to me.

WHAT does concern me, and bother me greatly, is that there are a lot of men and women that I have come to know over 25 years of military and civilian service in the army who are now serving our country and putting their lives in great danger.

And for Askel to simply shrug off the demand that they be treated properly, if and when taken as prisoners, because she feels her hatred of Bush and her narrow vision that this is an unjust war, or whatever the flip she thinks, is not something I shall sit idly by and watch without notifying the Admin Moderators of her Saddam apologist theology....not yesterday, not today, and not tomorrow...

I am glad I notified them of her stinking up the place.

[Catspaw]

You know, I don't give a rat's patoot about that now-banned pig, Askel5. She's gone and she's not coming back. You don't like it? Follow her over to LP and you can cry with her.

[Carolinamom]

Thanks from me too.

[habs4ever]

Oh, delightful.Is there any doubt she was the worst sort of person? I detest her and am thankful that FR has finally banned such a malignant and disgusting presence.Bye bye La BelleDame, bye bye Askel....

[JMJ333]

I saw the thread in question regarding Catholicguy, and felt that he was high-strung but nothing that I haven't seen from dozens of others on this forum over the years. He was a very decent person, who happened to be against this war, and that was why he was banned. He was not patriotic enough. It was sufficient enough to anger sitetest into not posting anymore. I haven't said much on the war issue because I've been confused about it. You know me well enough to understand that I take the views of the Pope seriously. If I express doubt about the war on this forum, I will be targeted for banning. I haven't posted much lately at all because of it.

As for Askel, I was never more than an acquaintance with her, but have read enough posts by her over the past several years to know that she is a faithful Catholic to her core. I am not informed enough on the Geneva convention to make comments on it, so will you explain it to me before I make a decision on whether she is being anti-American?

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Catholicguy was lying about this administration, and equating Bush and Hitler. It was stupid, it was a lie, it was an embarrassment, and called for a banning. If you thought that his dreck was a good idea, then you might want to see a good shrink.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

From the moment she opened her mouth she was wrong.