Iraq displays dead and captured US soldiers

8.30am

BAGHDAD - Iraq has displayed five shaken US soldiers apparently captured in a battle near the southern city of Nassiriya and some bloodied bodies, in what US officials called a violation of the Geneva Convention.

Iraqi television filmed the bodies and prisoners, saying they fell into Iraqi hands during a battle at the town of Souq al-Shuyukh, southeast of Nassiriya where US forces have encountered stiff resistance.

The video showed two rooms each containing what appeared to be two separate groups of four bodies in uniform, at least two with wounds to the head and some lying in pools of blood.

The film then showed interviews with five separate captured soldiers, two of whom appeared to be injured -- one a woman, the other a man lying on a rug on the floor.

They were the first US prisoners known to have been taken by Iraq since US-led forces invaded four days ago to overthrow President Saddam Hussein. The prisoners gave their names and home towns and one provided his military identification number.

Lieutenant General John Abizaid, second in command of the US invasion force, later said 12 US soldiers were missing.

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the video was a violation of the Geneva Convention but added that the capture of Americans would not alter US war plans, saying display of such footage was "obviously part of Iraqi propaganda".

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) agreed the footage violated the convention, which says that prisoners of war must be protected "against insult and public curiosity", and said it would seek permission to visit the captives.

Television footage of Iraqis surrendering to US and British forces, and still photographs of Iraqi prisoners, some showing the captives in humiliating positions, won wide play in the US media on Sunday.

Iraq's Defence Minister Sultan Hashim Ahmed said Iraq would respect the Geneva Convention in its treatment of prisoners.

"Iraq will not harm the captured prisoners of war," he said.

The bodies, mostly still fully clothed but some with their shirts pulled up, were shown strewn on the floor in pools of blood. In the first room, at least two had wounds to the head and another had a groin wound. In another room, a smiling Iraqi uncovered more bodies, some with blackened faces.

The first prisoner shown, a nervous soldier in glasses, gave his name as Miller and said he was from Kansas.

Asked why he had come to Iraq he replied: "Because I was told to come here. I was just under orders. I was told to shoot -- only if I'm shot at. I don't want to kill anybody."

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a US defence official said the missing US personnel were probably members of a maintenance unit that was operating in southern Iraq.

Two of the prisoners shown by Iraqi television said they were from the 507th Maintenance Company.

The 507th Corps Support Group provides supplies, equipment, repairs and maintenance and would usually provide support as far forward as possible to the 82nd Airborne Division, the 3rd Infantry Division and the 101st Airborne Division.

US officers said Marines battling Iraqi guerrillas for Nassiriya, on the Euphrates river about 375 km southeast of Baghdad, had taken "significant" casualties in a fight to open a route north to the Iraqi capital.

The second prisoner shown, who gave his name as Joseph Hudson, said he came from El Paso, Texas.

Asked why he had come to Iraq, he said: "I follow orders".

He was asked repeatedly whether he was greeted by guns or flowers by Iraqis, but appeared not to understand the question.

A third man who appeared to have a broken arm, was lying on a red patterned rug, but was pulled into a sitting position to answer questions. He gave his name as Edgar from Texas and said only that he had entered Iraq from Kuwait.

A fourth prisoner gave his name as Sergeant James Riley from New Jersey and said he was 31 years old. He appeared to be in shock, turning his head from side to side.

The fifth, a woman who gave her name as Shawna, said she was 30 and had a bandaged ankle.

Appearing on CBS television, Rumsfeld was shown the footage, which was relayed around the world by the Arabic network Al-Jazeera, and said it violated the Geneva Convention, which he said prohibited the photographing or interrogation by media of those captured in battle.

Rumsfeld later criticised networks for airing such footage.

Noting that the United States now had in custody more than 2000 Iraqis, he called on Baghdad to abide by international law and treat US captives "just as we treat Iraqi prisoners according to the Geneva Convention".

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq