The hospital ship USNS Comfort leaves Baltimore harbor Sept. 12, 2002.
Posted on 04/03/2003 5:10:23 AM PST by JohnHuang2
Amid concern over the treatment of American POW Pfc. Jessica Lynch, who was rescued from an Iraqi hospital, Arab News reports Iraqi POWs are being treated with dignity and receiving 24-hour medical care aboard the massive, state-of-the-art floating hospital, USNS Comfort.
The hospital ship USNS Comfort leaves Baltimore harbor Sept. 12, 2002. |
The Baltimore-based Navy hospital ship, which contains 12 operating rooms, an intensive care unit, 1,000 beds and decontamination facilities, is floating off the coast of Bahrain.
It was deployed to handle massive coalition battlefield injuries or casualties from a biological or chemical attack. But so far, the majority of patients being treated by the 62 doctors aboard are Iraqi males in their teens and early twenties who fought against coalition troops.
A correspondent with Arab News allowed to observe the POWs described 20 prisoners residing in a ward near another filled with about 20 injured Iraqi civilians. The POWs have presented with typical wartime injuries, mostly trauma or gunshot wounds to the extremities.
The wards were stripped of anything that could be used as a weapon and unarmed security personnel keep watch in both rooms. But the POWs are not handcuffed or restrained in any way. Only "soft restraints" have been used with "unruly" patients.
Cmdr. Tommy Stewart, the senior nurse director explained the absence of weapons in the wards: "A weapon creates a security breach, and weapons can also be used against you."
Armed security personnel throughout the ship can be summoned easily, if needed.
Chief Petty Officer Caesar Salicrup, who runs the POW wards, told Arab News the POWs have not been restrained because they are cooperative. He said even though the men don’t speak English, they have started to learn words like "thank you," "OK," "USA," and "cigarette."
"I think most of them are happy to be here and we've heard that they want Saddam Hussein gone. They don’t want to fight," he said.
Still, the presence of the POWs unnerves some. Many told Arab News they fear the soldiers are Fedayeen fighters known for committing the worst atrocities against their own people on the battlefield.
"They are healing fast and are starting to make demands. Some seem to be very disciplined, strong-willed individuals. The security situation is worrisome to me because a hospital ward is not a good location for POWs," said one nurse.
"I have staff members who are frightened and concerned. All we hear is the bad stuff on TV. But we are fighting a war, and we do need to be careful. These are the bad guys," said Stewart.
As a precaution, nurses and staff working with the POWs cover their names and ranks with tape.
"We've had some American injuries, but the majority have been POWs. We give them the same level of quality that we give our coalition forces. But it's a different mindset when you remember that these guys were killing our men," operating room nurse Lt. Kathleen Hinz told the paper.
Cmdr. Agnes Bradley-Wright said she never imagined she would end up nursing POWs.
"Most of us had a lot of mixed feelings about this. The health professional side of us knew we need to take care of them, but then the personal side of us saw what they had done to our Marines. But when they arrived the professional side of us kicked in," she said, reporting that the medical staff saw fear in most of the POWs' faces.
Despite the qualms that exist, Stewart assures the POWs are being treated as patients.
"We're professionals and we all took a medical oath to do no harm. Wars are brought about by politicians; As soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, we are here simply to do the job we’re told to do," he said.
The POWs will be transferred to facilities ashore within 10 days to make way for more POWs expected to come aboard. Twenty-four military police will reportedly join them to provide extra security.
But you're right about the "unruly" one: they're probably fayedeen and too brainwashed to know kindness if it hit'em upside the head.
This should have been the first sentence in this article!!!
I agree. A two-fold question is: How do we find out which ones are Fedayeen, and then what do we do with these rabid butchers when it's over? They are the ones that put civilian clothes on and ambush our troops under the white flags. They are the ones who executed our troops (and the British)when they surrendered. These guys are brainwashed rabid dogs and rabid dogs can only be "put to sleep".
The Fayedeen are those most likely to become a part of a terrorist or guerilla force.
I'm sure those above my pay grade, so to speak, have already got something in mind.
One thing that I saw this morning that is encouraging is the liberation of Un Qusar (?) where the locals are rejoicing to see us and they are pointing out to us where the enemy are and where the mines are and the best of all this guy said "we know who the enemy are and those who have tortured us and made us fight and killed our families". I'm thinking that the truly liberated people who are happy to be free, and when it's all sorted out, will be pointing out the "evil devil spawn"...perhaps, even aboard the hospital ship.
I also heard another thing that concerns me: these Syrianns issued passports by Syria and heading south to aid Saddam and the enemy. Three or four busloads have been stopped by the Brits and the passengers have been arrested (didn't say if there are women bombers) but these were death squads and martyrs. To me, stopping and arresting them won't cure theis problem. A10s, Apaches Abrams and Spectres will. These Syrians, blessed and sent by the Syrians are enemy combatants and not civilians. They come to fight and kill our soldiers by any means. We should help them along to Allah so we don't have to deal with them again.
Perhaps, Syria should be our next target of opportunity...and all the busses they send down the road to become the next "highway of death"
Thanks for your service, Vet.
And I think you're on the money as far as post-war Iraq.
The locals know their enemy, just as the Iraqi who saved Jessica Lynch knew the men guarding her were the fayedeen.
The Iraqis will help us with this problem, for sure.
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