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★阿修羅♪
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現在地 HOME > 掲示板
> 戦争２９ > 305.html
★阿修羅♪
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ラムズフェルド始め国防総省のトップは、
イラク兵の捕虜が３５００人だ！いや４０００人になった！
と戦果として伝えているが、その捕虜の数が自軍に与える影響を考えているのだろうか。
米軍機関紙Stars and Stripesでは、イラク兵捕虜が食料などの
資源を消耗させ、
米軍兵士達にとっての負担になっている問題に触れていて面白い。
ナシリヤの近郊、イラクの第１１歩兵連隊（？）に近いところで
米軍は３００人ほどの投降して来たイラク兵捕虜を抱えた。
彼らは米軍がばら撒いた投降の呼掛けのビラを掲げて微笑ながらやって来た。
そのビラには「食物、水、生命を保証する」と書かれている。
米軍は彼らにこれら３つの約束を供給しなければならない。
捕虜の数が増えると管理するための場所、設備が必要になる。
また道路脇で民間人の乗った乗り物と遭遇することもある。
民間人は危険な地域から去るべきだ、と分かってはいるが
彼らはあまりに親しげに微笑み、自分達と話をしたがる者もいる。＝などなど。
さて、米軍当局が公表している「イラク兵」捕虜の中には、何人の民間人が混じっているのだろう？
食料と水を求めて投降する「民間人」が、実はかなりの数になるのでは無いだろうか。
侵略開始間も無い頃に映像で流れた「投降する兵士」のうち、白旗を掲げ
近付いて跪いた白いジャケットを着た男性などは
どう見ても兵士には見えなかったのだが。
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Stars and Stripes
http://www.stripes.com/
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=14010
Iraqi POWs straining resources
By Joseph Giordono, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Thursday, March 27, 2003
CENTRAL IRAQ — Prisoners of war, even in the smallest numbers, are putting a logistical strain on the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment.
While the 3rd Infantry Division forces in southern and central Iraq have not encountered mass surrenders like those occurring in Basra, these U.S. troops recently captured 300 Iraqi soldiers near the Iraqi 11th Infantry headquarters near An Nasiriyah.
The bulk of those Iraqis simply walked up to the U.S. soldiers with hands held aloft, smiling and flashing American leaflets with surrender instructions that had been dropped earlier in the week. The leaflets promise food, water and the chance to live. Now the Americans must provide prisoners with all three.
“Our hope is that as many enemy surrender as possible. But once they do surrender, we have certain obligations to them,” said Lt. Col. John Charlton, commander of Task Force 1-15.
“We’ve made those promises in our leaflet drops and have certain obligations under the Geneva Conventions. We will honor those obligations.”
After the battle at An Nasiriyah, Iraqi prisoners were herded into holding pens surrounded by concertina wire. They were given food and water; some were questioned by U.S. military intelligence officials.
Among the prisoners was the Iraqi 11th Infantry commanding general, who told American interrogators that the entire division had surrendered.
“He’s being cooperative and is assuring us that his troops are done fighting,” said Capt. Dave Smith, an intelligence officer with 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry.
But sporadic fighting continued through the next night, and more prisoners were taken. As the U.S. task force continued its push toward Baghdad, some soldiers and equipment had to be left behind to deal with the prisoners.
Adding to the problems are the Iraqi civilians that the U.S. troops are encountering on the battlefield. The soldiers are under strict rules of engagement that limit who and what they can fire upon.
It is certainly not all-out war.
One advancing armor column stalled for 45 minutes as it tried to discern whether an Iraqi radio tower was a legitimate military target. In the end, it drove around the complex. And as the long column of Task Force 1-15 continues toward other military objectives in Iraq, it is slowed by each civilian vehicle it encounters.
Scouts must stop the vehicle, search it, determine its occupants’ intentions and somehow communicate that the civilians should leave the area. Written placards in Arabic help with the task, but sometimes the overly friendly Iraqi civilians want to chat before moving on.
“These people smile too much,” joked Pvt. Carlos Evans, a scout platoon Humvee driver. “We got to get on about our business.”
© 2002 Stars and Stripes. All Rights Reserved.
題名には必ず「阿修羅さんへ」と記述してください。