EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT Tragedy at Camp Pennsylvania

Time Magazine ^ | March 23, 2003 | Jim Lacey

[Bubba_Leroy]

TIME's Jim Lacey has been traveling with the 1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division. Over two weeks ago, they had set up camp in northern Kuwait just 20 miles south of the Iraqi border. Then the drama began:

It was 1:45 Sunday morning when I was awakened by the first blast—a boom 10 times louder than a car backfiring. Ten seconds later there was a second blast, and then soldiers started screaming, "Get out! Get out!" Someone had slipped two hand grenades into the tent housing more than a dozen of the brigade's officers. One woman in my tent, which was 10 yards away from the explosion, yelled, "I'm hit." A piece of shrapnel from the grenade had lodged in her leg.

I ran out of my tent into total chaos. The Scud alarms were sounding, and people were running for the bunkers we use during those alerts. Most soldiers were in uniform, but some were wearing the workout clothes they sometimes sleep in. Realizing the explosions were not Scuds, I walked over to the tent where the grenades had gone off and saw two very badly wounded soldiers—one bleeding from his leg, back and stomach. The medics had not yet arrived, so soldiers were bandaging wounds themselves. I noticed the chaplain trying to comfort the dozen or so who had been wounded. Sergeants were shouting orders to form a security perimeter. Some of the younger soldiers were looking on in a state of shock and had to be hand-led to their positions. Fifteen minutes later an ambulance drove up to take away the badly wounded soldiers. One died soon after.

Because a number of officers had been hit, no one knew at first who was in charge. Then two officers who were bleeding from wounds started giving orders.

Thinking there was a terrorist on the loose, a group of soldiers began assembling to conduct a manhunt. Other officers were inspecting the tents and bunkers to make sure everyone was accounted for.

One of those officers spotted a soldier, lying alone in a bunker near the explosions, who appeared to be wounded. The soldier, who has a Muslim name, had, according to military sources, recently been acting insubordinate; his superiors had decided not to bring him into Iraq.

Camp sources say he initially admitted responsibility. The officer drew his weapon and called for backup. Then they handcuffed the soldier, read him his rights and waited for criminal investigators to arrive.

[Bubba_Leroy]

"...his superiors had decided not to bring him into Iraq."

Change of plans. Bring him into Iraq strapped to the front of a tank.

[ewing]

Suprise, surprise..a Muslim soldier!

[xm177e2]

Tragedy? It was an ATROCITY.

[cubreporter]

Yes it was. This person should be court martialed and executed. This WAS an act of terrorism from within his own unit which makes it even worse. He is a trator of the worse kind and I hope he suffers the fate he deserves.
God bless our REAL troops!

[Odyssey-x]

I think it's fine if we say this guy did all this because he was unhappy about the MREs. I mean why give the radicals anybody to rally around. Just make him look like a lone nut serves propaganda purposes effectivley I guess. Hell, Radical Islam is a perfect lone nut ideology anyway.

[Servant of the Nine]

Give him his parole in the Brigade Area and let things take their natural course.

SO9

[tessalu]

Use the firing squad and do not waste any money transporting him around or even feeding him. This should be the end of the line for him.

[dagar]

Treason. War-time court-martial and summary execution in the field.

[JasonC]

What is his freaking NAME? Why won't anyone say? What ridiculous impunity is involved here? Since when are criminals sacrosanct?

[Franking]

Can we change the title to "Treason at Camp Pennsylvania"? Or is that the TIME leader>

F

[niteowl77]

Then two officers who were bleeding from wounds started giving orders.

I'm sure there are many instances of coolness and heroism in the last couple of days, but that sentence just jumped out.

[cubreporter]

I agree totally but...this won't happen.

[OldFriend]

How very ironic that this Camp Pennsylvania is named for the heroes of Flight #93.

[FreedomPoster]

That's Bronze Star material, at least, besides the Purple Hearts. This was an enemy attack, not a disgruntled soldier.

We are idiots to allow the enemy among our troops.

[wku man]

Exactly. "Tragedy" calls for mourning and tears. "Atrocity" calls for some serious retribution and a** whuppin', which is why I've always been loathe to call 9-11 a "tradegy".

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[Palladin]

Gee, I wish Eisenhower were in command. The traitor bastard would be Swiss cheese already.

[irgbar-man]

I wondered aloud last night if it could be a Moose-limb in American uniform. I heard on the radio the motive was 'resentment.' This is nothing short of an inside job homicide bombing. This 'soldier' will be lucky to be bunked in Leavenworth for the rest of his life.

[AmericanBabe]

100 years ago, if this had happened, he would have been taken out in front of the troops and put in front of a firing squad.

Times have changed.

[Travis McGee]

The soldier, who has a Muslim name, had, according to military sources, recently been acting insubordinate;

And in true 1984 fashion, this higly important fact has been scrubbed out of all media accounts.