BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: NicoleC
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 08:54 PM

I agree, Kevin. Sad then, that a bit over a year ago the US was insisting those soldiers they captured in Afghanistan weren't "prisoners of war," and so the Geneva Convention didn't apply. I have to wonder how much spin got used in the Mid East about what how the US treated those men -- and if the Iraqi soldiers are responding to that.

It's more sad that the 507th aren't the kind of front line troops that get prepared for this sort of thing. I'm trying to keep away from the TV today, but I do keep thinking about those poor boys.

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: GUEST,sorefingers
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 08:53 PM

I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but G W sounds completely different from his usual could-care-less tone of voice.

Hope it ends soon and Saddam retires or steps on a land mine....

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 08:27 PM

Strikes me there's a lot of spinning going on here.

Bottom line is, the Geneva Conventions about prisoners and about war really matter. And when any country breaks them or tinkers with them - for example by calling prisoners of war "hostile combatants" - the people responsible ought to be arraigned before a war crimes tribunal, because they make it easier for other people to do the same.

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: The Walrus
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 08:22 PM

Just a thought,
Saddam has placed a price on the head of each Allied serviceman/woman killed or captured.
Should 'we' start issuing aircrew with 'goolie-chits' as the RAF did over Afghanistan in the 1930s or the 'Laundry List' worn by the American "Flying Tigers" in China?
A "goolie-chit" was a badge/notice promising payment for each airman handed over to the Allies, with a sliding scale based on their 'condition' (removing bits of the anatomy reduced the value greatly, hence the name).

Walrus

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: Nemesis
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 07:17 PM

Just reported on the news that The Iraqis will respect the Geneva Convention vis the prisoners ..

2 Tornado aircraft crew downed by "friendly fire" - ITN's senior reporter and camera man and translator presumed dead after coming under fire .. just seen B52's taking off from RAF Fairford on their way .. wierd sort of propaganda but the idea seems to be for them to be publicly seen to be on their way with their "massive" payload of bombs.

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: wysiwyg
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 05:47 PM

It's been a bad news day all around, and I do not think that is a concidence-- I think it is a response to the propaganda war we have been presenting from the start (whenever you think the start was).

I think the target is our own minds, all around the world, more than the soldiers heading for B'dad. Although I do not advocate putting one's head in the sand (nor up one's ass), I do want to remind people that we can choose not to put our heads in the line of fire-- we can get away from the TV long enough to remain able to think and to do proud the belief system of your choice.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: Ireland
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 05:16 PM

Saddam is far from stupid, how has he lasted so long in power.

What he wants to do is get the coalition forces to strike back in the same manner, one such action by coalition troops would be seen by the world and despised more than a hundred such atrocities by Iraq.

He is playing a mind game,lets hope he does not win it.

I pray that this ill advised war does some good so the dead will not have died in vain.

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 05:06 PM

They were soldiers Hille.

For all that the Iraqis have killed a few coalition personnel, they're probably still trailing behind what the coalition personnel do to each other. It all seems a hopelessly one-sided encounter to me. Very little evidence so far that Iraq was any kind of military threat to anyone. And if they have all those WMDs, they show no sign of ever using them.

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: Nemesis
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 04:34 PM

ON the UK news it showed the US personnel dead with head wounds (8 I think) and appeared to support the execution theory and 5 captured (from Texas and New Jersey including one female personnel .. Iraq (whether it was Saddam or militia - I didn't catch) stated that they regard the Allies as mercenaries to whom the Geneva Convention will therefore NOT apply in their view.

If the Iraqis intend to execute them, I just hope they do it quickly without torture or mutilation.

This is so awful.. my son was born 15 years ago this week and the terrible headlines for that day were full page pictures of two off-duty policemen who'd strayed into the wrong part of Belfast and were photgraphed being torn to pieces by a mob .. and now what can I say to a child on the brink of adulthood about the World 15 years on ...

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: Forum Lurker
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 03:52 PM

Walrus-I think you might be giving Saddam a little too much credit for forethought. If he were smart enough to try that, he would have been able to convince the UN that he positively did not have proscribed weapons. Frightening thought, though.

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: InOBU
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 02:14 PM

All we are saying, is give peace a chance.
Larry

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: The Walrus
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 12:25 PM

Surely retaliaton is what the 'powers-that-be' in Iraq want.
If the US + forces start topping PoWs, the rest of the Army will be more reluctant to surrender if pushed into a corner and more likely to move into 'we're dead either way, so let's take the ba*ds with us' mode.

Am I too cynical? (and if so, am I still wrong?)

Walrus

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: Sorcha
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 11:40 AM

Well, does anybody seriously believe that Saddam and his sons will be "captured alive"? After all,that is our stated intent......they will be "shot in the back trying to escape." How is that different from execution?

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: GUEST,Sledge
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 11:39 AM

The stuff being shown on Al jazeera is pretty graphic, they have shown at least 8 US dead and were grilling some poor guy from Kansas on camera, to say the least he looked terrified.

The dead seemed to have a few too many head wounds, when I first saw the pictures I found myself thinking executions, ugly stuff and with it being broadcast like this, how long before word gets round the troops and tit for tat killings become a regular thing.

Sledge

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: GUEST,boab d
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 11:23 AM

Did Iraq actually sign the Geneva convention?
If not then they cant breach it. Hope they get out alright though even if its wrong what the UK+us are doing
Dylan

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 11:18 AM

Executed? Jeesus, I'm listening to CNN at the moment and they're starting to confirm these earlier stories. I just saw Don Rumsfield reply to a pertinent question "I don't know what you're talking about".....but to be fair to him, I don't know WHEN he was questioned.

I've been pretty objective about this whole thing for the last few weeks, but I'm damned emotional today. It's just so damned sad. SURELY some of this could have been avoided with more economic pressure....and SURELY the millions of protesters can bring about a swift end.

I don't want to hear more reports from Al Jazeera, but like watching a train wreck, I guess I'll listen. They're being broadcast on CBC.

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: GUEST,linguist
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 11:01 AM

Prisoners of War or Enemy Combatants?
(The U.S. makes a distinction, so why shouldn't the rest of the world?)

Subject: RE: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: Tweed
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 10:55 AM

Schwartzkopf said a minute ago that the captured prisoners have been executed. Many different numbers reported however.

Subject: BS: Reports from Al Jazeera. P.O.W.s
From: GUEST,in shock
Date: 23 Mar 03 - 10:52 AM

We've just listened to reports from Al Jazeera about Americans captured by Iraquis. A young woman (Shauna) from Texas was being grilled by her captors. Apparently they're showing pictures of wounded and dead American soldiers. My God, this whole thing is so awful. Does anyone have any more info. Our mainstream outlets are not reporting this.

Like most, my wife and I have been against this war from the beginning, but we're just feeling numb at the moment.