posted on March 10, 2003 02:03:18 PM new
Mar 9 2003
Mike Hamilton reports from Camp Coyote in Kuwait
TERRIFIED Iraqi soldiers have crossed the Kuwait border and tried to surrender to British forces - because they thought the war had already started.
The motley band of a dozen troops waved the white flag as British paratroopers tested their weapons during a routine exercise.
The stunned Paras from 16 Air Assault Brigade were forced to tell the Iraqis they were not firing at them, and ordered them back to their home country telling them it was too early to surrender.
The drama unfolded last Monday as the Para batallion tested mortars and artillery weapons to make sure they were working properly.
The Iraqis found a way across the fortified border, which is sealed off with barbed-wire fencing, watchtowers and huge trenches.
A British Army source in Kuwait contacted me to explain how the extraordinary surrender bid unfolded. The source said: "The British guys on the front-line could not believe what was happening. They were on pre-war exercises when all of a sudden these Iraqis turned up out of nowhere, with their hands in the air, saying they wanted to surrender.
"They had heard firing and thought it was the start of the war.
"The Paras are a tough, battle-hardened lot but were moved by the plight of the Iraqis. There was nothing they could do other than send them back.
"They were a motley bunch and you could barely describe them as soldiers - they were poorly equipped and didn't even have proper boots. Their physical condition was dreadful and they had obviously not had a square meal for ages. No one has ever known a group of so-called soldiers surrender before a shot has been fired in anger."
Last night the Ministry of Defence officially denied the incident had taken place, but the story was corroborated by an intelligence source.
Meanwhile Saddam Hussein has ordered thousands of troops back to Baghdad as he turns the city into a fortress.
It is believed that two rings of steel are being established around Baghdad. The outer one consists of regular Iraqi army soldiers and the inner one is made up of Republican Guard fighters - thought to be the only troops that will put up fierce resistance.
posted on March 10, 2003 02:10:01 PM new
I heard somewhere that they had French Military advisors.
I can't conferm.
Amen,
It was expected,
Reverend Colin
posted on March 11, 2003 12:29:04 AM new
I recall watching them on TV in the Gulf War. They dropped their weapons, walked up to the American Soliders to basically begged them not to hurt them. Hopefully, it will go this smooth this time.
posted on March 11, 2003 04:09:52 AM new
They showed troops "training" on TV to fight in an urban environment. I was LMAO. I told the wife if they really fight like that they'll be dead before lunch. Showed them walking in the front door upright and piviting around to look the room over. She said well how do you do it?
I said you put a grenade or two through the window or door or an RPG if you have one and reach around the corner with your gun held away from the body and hose down the whole room - especially low.
She was horrified that you might kill innocent civilians.
