Marines Finding Surrendering Fighters

Associated Press | Sat, Nov. 13, 2004 | EDWARD HARRIS

[mdittmar]

FALLUJAH, Iraq - U.S. Marines charged up the stairs in one of Fallujah's grandest buildings Saturday, seeking the high ground in their battle with insurgents. There, they found three foreign men lying in wait.

But they were unarmed, elderly and infirm - three shaken and hungry Egyptians, kneeling on the floor, waving a white sheet.

One wore a turban, had sallow skin and a distended belly. He held out a note in English - a message from Marines who had swept through earlier. It said the foreigners were not suspected combatants, unlike many in Fallujah.

"Tell them we'll get them out for medical treatment. Not now, but soon they'll have a ride to the rear," Lt. Owen Boyce, 24, of Simsbury, Conn., told a translator. "Tell them we'll take care of them. But we've got a casualty and that's the priority."

The three Egyptians were traveling to Baghdad for medical care when the were caught up in the Fallujah fighting.

The earlier Marine patrol had left rations for the three, but the Egyptians apparently had not understood it was food, or how to open the thick brown plastic pouches. The men had not eaten for days.

Boyce and his squad kneeled with the men, splitting open the packs of wheat bread, processed cheese and chocolate milkshakes, which the Egyptians devoured with trembling hands.

"It's pretty clear these guys aren't fighters," Boyce said as the Egyptians pressed cheap plastic lighters, gifts of gratitude, into his hands.

The gentle treatment for the Egyptians after a week of intense urban combat to retake the city from Islamic militants was not the norm as U.S. forces combed the city for holdout insurgents.

Men of fighting age are blindfolded, handcuffed and led away for interrogation. The Marines say such measures are necessary because it is impossible to tell friend from foe.

"The majority are fighters who have holed up and want to attack us from the rear," said Gunnery Sgt. Brett Turek, 36, of Hinsdale, Ill., serving with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines.

"We've also found legitimate guys who were taking care of their property who were just in a bad place at a bad time."

Marines in one northern neighborhood said they also liberated two hostages, a Syrian and two Iraqis. So far there has been no sign of foreign hostages, including British aid worker Margaret Hassan or Lebanese-American Dean Sadek.

Each day, Marines smashing their way through a city that was once home to 300,000 people are finding men of military age hiding in Fallujah's low houses and few apartment buildings, near loaded weapons.

Marines use plastic bands called flexcuffs on the detainees' wrists, wrap cloth around their eyes and lead them out into streets filled with broken glass, shrapnel and concrete shattered by bullets or bombs.

Marines show little patience with surrendering fighters and suspect that many of the men have given up, hoping to escape to fight another day.

As many as 90 percent of people found in Fallujah since the fighting began are believed to be insurgents and are treated as prisoners - sent to the rear for questioning. Friday night, for example, Marines led about 40 detainees out of a command post, pushing the barefoot men who winced as they walked across the rubble.

Marines have found suspected fighters from Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Sudan, a Marine officer said on condition of anonymity. They also have captured men in Iraqi police and military uniforms.

"These are the ones shooting at us, aside from the Iraqi mujahedeen," the officer said.

Before Marines struck deep into Fallujah this week, U.S. officers estimated between 50,000 and 60,000 civilians remained in the city. But in the city's northern quarters, reputed to be a rebel stronghold, few were seen.

Officials hope they can clear Fallujah and restore security to open the way for national elections in January.

[bannie]

"Tell them we'll take care of them. But we've got a casualty and that's the priority."

I love soldiers. They are Real Men.

[xm177e2]

Headline: Marines Finding Surrendering Fighters

From the article: It's pretty clear these guys aren't fighters

Hmmmmm....

[saquin]

Egyptian men plead for help as US Marines of the first Division enter a building in the western part of Fallujah, Iraq, Saturday, Nov. 13, 2004. The three men claimed could not flee the city as one of them fell ill. The US Marines gave them food and water and took them out of the city.

Egyptian men get food and water after US Marines of the first Division entered a building in the western part of Fallujah, Iraq, Saturday, Nov. 13, 2004. The three men say they could not flee the city as one of them fell ill. The US Marines took them out of the city.

[saquin]

Yeah, that was a pretty stupid headline. Obviously these weren't "surrendering fighters".

[lsee]

The earlier Marine patrol had left rations for the three, but the Egyptians apparently had not understood it was food, or how to open the thick brown plastic pouches. The men had not eaten for days. Boyce and his squad kneeled with the men, splitting open the packs of wheat bread, processed cheese and chocolate milkshakes, which the Egyptians devoured with trembling hands.

Aw, this brought tears to my eyes...I'm so proud of our guys...

[BushMeister]

Anyone dressed as Iraqi Nat'l guardsmen or Iraqi police that attacks coalition troops should be executed.

[blackie]

Killing and capturing bad guys ~ Bump!

[Texas Eagle]

The three Egyptians were traveling to Baghdad for medical care when the were caught up in the Fallujah fighting.

Don't they have doctors in Egypt?

[Aeronaut]

Hey Dan Rather, are you going to show pictures like these on post #4 on your newscast? Are you?

[cripplecreek]

"The three Egyptians were traveling to Baghdad for medical care when the were caught up in the Fallujah fighting."



What medical care? according to most media reports medical care is virtually nonexistent and the hospitals are full of civilian casualties.

[P-Marlowe]

...according to most media reports...

Maye these guys were wise enough to ignore "most media reports".

[Types_with_Fist]

"I wonder what 'Bitta Bitta' means?"

[weenie]

"The three Egyptians were traveling to Baghdad for medical care when the were caught up in the Fallujah fighting."

Honest, officer...we were just out for a drive...we heard shootin' and just came over for a look/see...honest, we weren't fighting.

[monkeywrench]

"Marines use plastic bands called flexcuffs on the detainees' wrists, wrap cloth around their eyes and lead them out into streets filled with broken glass, shrapnel and concrete shattered by bullets or bombs."

LOL! allah must be so proud of his surrendering army of terrorists.

[VOA]

What medical care? according to most media reports medical care is virtually nonexistent

Yep, that's a (criminally) under-reported aspect of Saddam's Iraq.

There was medical care for the inner-circle Baathist and friends, but the rest of
the poor civilians went lacking.

That's why our nurses and medics are teaching the Iraqi MDs how to do real
medicine. The Iraqi MDs just didn't get decent training or equipment as long
as Saddam was building palaces.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Daily thread:

Operation Phantom Fury-----Day 6----Live thread

[sgtbono2002]

The problem the first time thropugh Falluja was too many young men surrendering and then turning on us. Anyone in uniforms of Iraqui police who arent Iraqui police should be executed as spies.

[A knight without armor]

Perhaps they were traveling along and one fell seriously ill so they headed for Baghdad because (1) literally any port in a storm-the person was so serious they were willing to try anywhere or (2) they do not have access to current news and assumed a big town would have medical help.

You never know who to trust but I am touched to read that they were so helpless and pathetically tried to thank their American heroes. For right now, I'm going with assuming they are just what they seem.

God Bless our American heroes. They are the best of the best!

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

The earlier Marine patrol had left rations for the three, but the Egyptians apparently had not understood it was food, or how to open the thick brown plastic pouches. The men had not eaten for days.

Starving and lacking the curiosity to aid their own survival sort of sums it up about the masses of illiterate Muslims in the middle east.