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)

[Chancellor Palpatine]

While I'm thinking about it, her enthusiastic verbal contributions over at a site known mostly for virulent anti-Semitism and pro anarchy posts needs to be considered when you decide you want her back.

[ventana]

Which site is that? Hey look Chancy, there are lots of posters here I don't agree with or like or think we even share the same planet, still that's what I like about FR. C'mon, you have a huge problem with the church, I don't like what you say, but I am glad you are here nonetheless. Catholicguy worked my last nerve MANY a time, but I wish he were here. RNMOM, ugh, but I don't think she should be banned. These are the cranks on the human highway. As I see it. V's wife.

[Cachelot]

for us, a bitter misfortune to have lost you

Lost her??? You do hang out on LibertyForum - the StormFront runner-up - along with her, don't you? Or is that another "Romulus"?

[Romulus]

Your attempt to smear by association duly noted.

On a site dedicated to free speech, you're bound to find some characters intent on abusing their rights. Yes, there are a lot of twisted anti-semites at that site. There's also a contingent of Israel apologists -- a minority, but vocal and visible. There's also a school of militant atheists. Quite a lot of queer fish swim in that sea, and some of them are even worth a second look. The one banning that I know of had nothing to do with politics, religion, or race.

Not to stretch the analogy too far, but Christ regularly scandalised the stupid and envious, keeping company with tax collectors, harlots, and Samaritans. Askel has denounced the disastrous decisions and evil intent that have rendered Israel and the Occupied Territories a human tragedy for all sides. Most people aren't interested in this level of moral clarity; they merely want their prejudices reinforced and their agendas advanced. Even during Lent, it seems, when Christians are called to rigorous self-scrutiny and conversion, there are many moral sleepwalkers who resent the slightest rude intrusion on their dreams of righteousness.

Askel isn't perfect -- only extraordinary, exquisite, and unique. There isn't an anti-Semitic bone in her body.

[Romulus]

Smearing does seem to be the order of the day. These are evil times.

This is for you too, Cachelot. Of course yoo too are registered on that "StormFront " forum. As are a lot of folks with minds like yours -- well, mostly less vicious. Why don't you check with a few of them and let them tell you about me?

And if you need any help figuring out my tag line, just ask.

[Cachelot]

These are evil times.

On the contrary - these are good times. Evil is exposing itself and promptly receiving a jdam down its chimney. Poor Saddam, eh? And others will follow ;).

Of course yoo too are registered on that "StormFront " forum.

Ummm... no. The denizens over there made a little mistake that they shouldn't have made :). Was it you, by any chance? I've kinda been waiting for a culprit to wave his grubby little hand.

Cachelot Warning

And if you need any help figuring out my tag line, just ask.

Gee, a luminary like you, I'm not worthy of even reading your tagline :))))).

[Romulus]

Wasn't me, Cachelot. I don't play dirty tricks. You ought to know that.

[Dumb_Ox]

So sad to lose you.

[cornelis]

I think we are headed down a dark alley ... alone ... in this regard. I think we are squandering our moral capital somehow.

I wish you joy.

[B-Chan]

Askel5 had her faults. So do we all. She was wrong about a great many things -- and right about a great many more. I will miss seeing her posts.

For the record: This is Jim's board, and he and his moderators can ban anyone they want. That being said, there is an intense anti-Catholic bias among many of the people who post to FR. I have read things here on FR regarding the Catholic Church that sound like they were written by some Klansman from 1920s Indiana.

I sometimes wonder why that sort of thing is tolerated.

[FITZ]

Her zeal should be checked, but eliminated? She made interesting and useful contributions as passionate people do, we can forgive a lack of circumspection, no? V's wife.

I agree ---these are emotional times. I used to admire this Pope, at one time he was a staunch anti-Communist, he seemed to be much like Reagan ----but I'm wondering if maybe he's too much like Reagan now, age has him beaten down.

[ventana]

I wonder the same thing. V's wife.

[brownie]

The Geneva Convention does not require the permission of the signatories to begin a war for the Geneva Convention itself to apply. Moreover, there is not requirement for U.N. permission to go to war.

The only possible Geneva Convention violation you could possibly be referring to (w/o having to wear a tinfoil hat) is the confinement at GITMO of Taliban/Al Queda prisoners. As a former JAG, I can assure you that it did not violate the Geneva Convention. At worst, an argument can be made for a violation. Whereas the Iraqis do not even pretend to abide by the Geneva Convention.

If you really want to play this game, then I will agree with you and say fine, we won't expect Iraq to abide by the Geneva Convention. But, that means we get to start using the kind of warfare that we have not thus far, such as torturing prisoners, purposefully bombing civilians, in fact, we could just drop a nuclear bomb on Baghdad and be done with it. But we don't. So give up on your moral equivalence arguments, or at least have some facts to back them up.

[Senator Pardek]

Next thing you know, a fat drunken slob who conspires through FReepmail to sexually harrass a woman will change his screen name after his old lady gets the message.

Life is funny...

[Chancellor Palpatine]

A really funny old thing is life - what we often think we know and what we really do know are two vastly different things - and get very clear with distance and perspective.

[cicero's_son]

A really funny old thing is life - what we often think we know and what we really do know are two vastly different things - and get very clear with distance and perspective.

My God, that's deep.

It almost sounds like a line from a Jimmy Buffet song.

[nunya bidness]

I thought you were going fishing.

[Sir Gawain]

The Pope is trying to prevent a Christian vs. Muslim crusade.

The Christians seem to be the only ones that are not aware a Crusade is happening.

[Sir Gawain]

There are retreads all over the place these days. Probably 20 people arguing each other with 150 screen names.