REPORT: CAPTURED MARINE PUT ON DISPLAY

abc27 ^ | Saturday March 29, 2003 4:01pm | AP

[11th_VA]

Iraq (AP) - A U.S. Marine was captured and put on display in the town of Shatrah, and military officials do not know if he is alive or dead, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

The Marine was captured Friday after a convoy of 200 vehicles heading north on Route 7 toward Baghdad was hit with rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine-gun fire while passing through the town.

The Marine was part of an aircraft support squadron. Officials have not released his name.

Shatrah is about 25 miles north of Nasiriya and 160 miles southeast of Baghdad.

Maj. Dave Holahan, executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 4th Regiment, 1st Marine Division, told the Times-Dispatch's embedded reporter, Rex Bowman, that the battalion had cleared the town of resistance Thursday.

Early Friday, Holahan said, the Marines drove several lightly armored vehicles through the town to clear a path for the convoy. The vehicles came under attack. The squads killed or drove away the attackers.

But Friday night, as the 200-vehicle convoy drove through, the last vehicles in the convoy came under attack. A 7-ton truck overturned, Holahan said, and Marines raced to fend off the attack and put the truck's occupants in other vehicles.

As they left, he said, they discovered a Marine was missing. Intelligence reports Saturday indicated he had been displayed in the middle of town.

Holahan blamed the attacks on the Republican Guard. "They've got death squads in some of these towns, and that's where we get this resistance."

Holahan said the Marines were still contemplating their response to the attack in Shatrah.

[11th_VA]

Holahan said the Marines were still contemplating their response to the attack in Shatrah.

Paybacks are hell ....

[grobdriver]

I fear this brave Marine will next be seen in a shallow grave outside the town.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Paybacks are hell ....

But revenge is a mother f*****...

[cubreporter]

All bets should be off. We do not want to target innocent Iraqi civilians. That is not the goal of the military. But...we must not allow our soldiers to be ambushed either.

[Go Gordon]

I fear this brave Marine will next be seen in a shallow grave outside the town.

Thanks for your optimism...

[TopQuark]

It does not take much to guess that guerillas do not attack from the front. Why couldn't they cover the rear with a couplr of helicopters, say? Or a tank?

[Sunshadow]

Since human shields don't mind being shot at, they should be made to bring up the rear of the convoy.

[ImpotentRage]

I know it is depressing, but I am afraid I think - from what I have heard and read - that it is realistic. We are dealing with a people who do NOT have the same feeling for the sanctity of life that we do. We are going to have to recognize that fact - and VERY soon. My prayers for the Marine.

[Victor K]

As in any war, if there are crimes committed, like those being perpetrated against some of our soldiers who have been captured and against the Iraqis, these twisted perps will eventually be found and justice will rain down on their heads like a mighty storm.

Let it be soon.

[Brian Allen]

<< It does not take much to guess that guerillas do not attack from the front. Why couldn't they cover the rear with a couple of helicopters, say? Or a tank? >>

Israelis would!

[I still care]

I remember an article where the a Palestinian said that they would win the war against the Jews, because the Jews were in love with life, and the Palistinians were not less afraid of death. This seems to be a culture that values death over life.

[Enemy Of The State]

             We will find you!

 

If you are dead when we find you,

we will avenge you!! 

[First_Salute]

There is a shortage of helicopters. Those which should be used for the security of ground units, are instead held together for a glamorous assault againt the Republican Guards.

We need many more helicopter gunships sent to Kuwait; there are plenty here in the States, which could be shipped.

To provide for that airlift, we need to free up the C-5A, B, C's and C-17's, by "requisitioning" more commercial jetliners.

The delay is Sec'y Rumsfeld's; he has been trying to "just-in-time" force transport so that the last marginal item not needed after the battles end, is not found on the battlefield. It's an absurd return to McNamara's "efficiency" obsession which cost us many lives.

[Centurion2000]

Holahan said the Marines were still contemplating their response to the attack in Shatrah.

Crucify them upside down.
We need to be as ruthless as Roman legions right now.

Semper Fi my brothers.

[Cold Heat]

There is a shortage of helicopters.

I do not know how you came to that conclusion.

The way they operate is to call in air support when they need it and they get it!

This is not like Vietnam. it is a different military with different strategy and equipment.

The helicopter idea that you refer to worked so damn good in Vietnam that a door gunners average time in country was only a few days before he ended up in a body bag!

If you have information of a lack of helicopters, post it.

[stlnative]

As someone said on one of threads tonight, "This whole thing is simply GOOD vs EVIL on large scale".

[clockwork]

Israelis would!

I think the Isrealis have their hands full wondering where the next guerrilla attack is going to come from. We're not getting their help in Iraq and I don't think we need it based on their track record.

[ET(end tyranny)]

I've wondered why we don't have a tank at the end myself.

[Bulldog1967]

Leave no man behind.

Help is coming Devil Dog

Semper Fi

[Yaron]

Israelis might do so, but you can't exactly say they have been overwhelmingly successful.