03/26/03 Soldiers try to surrender

[Dig-the-Man]

Report Says Slain U.S. Soldiers Tried to Surrender
Wed March 26, 2003 10:51 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One report reaching the U.S. military said that some of the 12 soldiers whose supply convoy was ambushed near Nassiriya in southern Iraq on Sunday were killed by their captors although they tried to surrender, a U.S. defense official said on Wednesday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the report received from the field said that the U.S. soldiers "weren't given the opportunity to surrender. They attempted to surrender." Some of the U.S. soldiers instead were killed by the Iraqi forces, the official said.

The official did not characterize the nature or reliability of the intelligence information on which this report was based. The official also did not indicate where the surrendering soldiers were slain.
Another defense official said the U.S. military had received "mixed reports" about the incident.
U.S. officials have said an Army supply convoy apparently made a wrong turn during a battle near Nassiriya, and members of an Army maintenance unit were ambushed by Iraqi "irregular forces."

U.S. officials say 12 soldiers were missing.
Five U.S. soldiers being held as prisoners were shown being interrogated on Iraqi television. The dead bodies of several others also were shown on Iraqi television. Some of the bodies appeared to have bullet wounds to the forehead, suggestive of possible execution, and were shown sprawled on the floor of a room in puddles of blood.

[Dagodevas]

That's so incredibly sad. I can't wait until we overthrow Saddam and get those bastards out of there.

Kazuo Kiriyama

[bumcheekcity]

they area absolute bastards, the Iraqui Government and although im against war, now we've started we have got to get him out of power very soon

[Jax-Cross]

Pretty terriable, I fell bad for my fallen comrades. Just goes to show us all how bad war can be, how unfair it can be.But thats the cost of War. But Lets not forget killing is bad always. Everyone has a family.

[biteme2514]

Executing the American soldiers without reason is just plain sadistic. But just remember, there are some Iraqis that don't want to take part in the war either, and they, are in effect, executed. That's why war's stupid. I don't think anyone should fight for something they don't necessarily believe in.

[TheloniousMONK]

They are fighting, and want to, because they hate us. We do not want to fight them, but feel compelled to. The best we can do is to keep playing by the rules, even if they are not. We are already getting enough heat from the international community.

[Ted-Easton]

They don't believe the Americans will really surrender because their fellow Iraqis kill their captors when they falsley surrender.