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)

[Diplomat]

bye bye

[error99]

I'm rapidly slipping into K-T-A-A-L-A-S-T-O mode.

[Neets]

Too bad...so sad.

[wardaddy]

Go away.

[wimpycat]

You show me where we paraded beaten Iraqis with American guns held to their heads being forced to talk to the camera...

You show me where we paraded Iraqis with bullets in their heads...



Until then, STFU.

[wardaddy]

Thanks AM...excellent job!!!!!

This is no time for that cretin.

[Jesse]

"Given our own precedent of ignoring same as well as our proceeding with this war AGAINST the wishes of many of the major signatories of that Convention, I really do wonder how it is we have the nerve to claim all due rights and privileges under that convention. "

Oh, brother.

First of all, the Geneva convention deals with the treatment of prisoners of war, not whether signatories to it will abide by the wishes of others. By the way, what part of the Geneva convention have we ignored in this conflict?


Second, what other nations do is their own business. In fact, we don't need their permission to wage war at all. Self defense is a basic human right. Many countries do not share that belief...even our allies in Britain, where self defense can land you in jail.

I could go on, but I don't want to take any more time away from your self-flagellation and hand wringing.

[Amelia]

as well as our proceeding with this war AGAINST the wishes of many of the major signatories of that Convention

You mean the ones who were selling war materiel to Iraq, even though it was prohibited by UN Resolutions, and the ones who wouldn't enforce Resolution #1441 which they signed?

You mean the ones who were profiting from the Oil for Food program? The ones who were holding those funds and collecting the interest from that money?

Yeah, I care what they think. NOT.

[Neets]

She did.....FINALLY.

I apologize to all who were offended by my rather unlady like remarks,,,,,but as a former GI I kinda lost my cool watching Askel questioning our RIGHT to demand GC protocols for our fighting men and women.

[Diplomat]

Sorry, must of clicked your reply and not Askel5 post.

I thought I got to her bio before the banning and she had a large table of other posters bios. Though above the table in large text was a link to bloodhound home page.

[LowOiL]

Askel5 signed up 1998-04-15. This account has been banned.

Good riddance to rubbish...

[sinkspur]

She's gone. Just like that.

Askel5, who blamed the President for complicity in 9/11, who said the Taliban really got a raw deal because, after all, they hated pornography and abortion, finally gets the axe for siding with the enemy.

I think I might have a drink!

[deport]

Yep.... a stepper that gal.

[Neets]

It's ok....I had remained fairly silent when she came on with her propaganda...but in light of the news today it was really time for my can of MOAB.

[Neets]

I'm gonna have a martini for that one!!!!

[deport]

I think I might have a drink!

---

LOL..... she isn't worth a drink.

[Double Tap]

She's gone. It has been a long time coming.

[jwalsh07]

Thank god for the skill of our medical personel; the casualties are mostly just wounded.

God bess the Navy Corpsmen and Army medics.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

I think I might have a drink!

I think I might join you.

[Double Tap]

You mean the "ESADB"? I thought it was appropriate, and a long time overdue.