Doubts about US morale in Iraq as troops refuse 'suicide mission'

Oct 15, 11:29 PM EDT

Unit Refused Iraq Mission, Military Says

By JOHN J. LUMPKIN
Associated Press Writer


WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Army is investigating up to 19 members of a supply platoon in Iraq who refused to go on a convoy mission, the military said Friday. Relatives of the soldiers said the troops considered the mission too dangerous, in part because their vehicles were in such poor shape.

Some of the troops' concerns were being addressed, military officials said. But a coalition spokesman in Baghdad noted that "a small number of the soldiers involved chose to express their concerns in an inappropriate manner, causing a temporary breakdown in discipline."

The reservists are from a fuel platoon that is part of the 343rd Quartermaster Company, based in Rock Hill, S.C. The unit delivers food, water and fuel on trucks in combat zones.

Teresa Hill of Dothan, Ala., who said her daughter, Amber McClenny, was among in the platoon, received a phone message from her early Thursday morning saying they had been detained by U.S. military authorities.


"This is a real, real, big emergency," McClenny said in her message. "I need you to contact someone. I mean, raise pure hell."

McClenny said in her message that her platoon had refused to go on a convoy to Taji, located north of Baghdad. "We had broken down trucks, non-armored vehicles and, um, we were carrying contaminated fuel. They are holding us against our will. We are now prisoners," she said.

Hill said she was later contacted by Spc. Tammy Reese in Iraq, who was calling families of the detainees.

"She told me (Amber) was being held in a tent with armed guards," said Hill, who spoke with her daughter Friday afternoon after her release. Her daughter said they are facing punishment ranging from a reprimand to a charge of mutiny.

Lumpkin reports the military is already acting on the soldiers' complaints.

The incident was first reported Friday by The Clarion-Ledger newspaper in Jackson, Miss. Family members told the newspaper that several platoon members had been confined, but the military did not confirm that.

A commanding general has ordered the unit to undergo a "safety-maintenance stand down," during which it will conduct no further missions as the unit's vehicles undergo safety inspections, the military said.

On Wednesday, 19 members of the platoon did not show up for a scheduled 7 a.m. meeting in Tallil, in southeastern Iraq, to prepare for the fuel convoy's departure a few hours later, the military statement said.

"An initial report indicated that some of the 19 soldiers (not all) refused to participate in the convoy as directed," the military statement says.

The mission was ultimately carried out by other soldiers from the 343rd, which has at least 120 soldiers, the military said.

Convoys in Iraq are frequently subject to ambushes and roadside bombings.

Staff Sgt. Christopher Stokes, a 37-year-old chemical engineer from Charlotte, N.C., went to Iraq with the 343rd but had to come home because of an injury. He said reservists were given inferior equipment and tensions in the company had been building since they were deployed in February.

"It wasn't really safe," he said. "The vehicles are not all that up to par anyway. The armor that they have is homemade. It's not really armor. It's like little steel rails."

A whole unit refusing to go on a mission in a war zone would be a significant breach of military discipline. The military statement called the incident "isolated" and called the 343rd an experienced unit that performed honorable service in nine months in Iraq.

U.S. military officials said the commanding general of the 13th Corps Support Command., Brig. Gen. James E. Chambers, had appointed his deputy, Col. Darrell Roll, to investigate. An investigative team under Roll is in Tallil, questioning soldiers about the incident, the military said.

"Preliminary findings indicate that there were several contributing factors that led to the late convoy incident and alleged refusal to participate by some soldiers," the military said. "It would be inappropriate to discuss those factors while the investigation continues."

Separately, the commander of the 300th Area Support Group, listed on a military Web site as Col. Pamela Adams, has ordered a criminal inquiry to determine if any soldiers committed crimes under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and, if so, whether disciplinary measures are warranted.

Alabama Republicans Sen. Richard Shelby and Rep. Terry Everett have both requested more information from the Defense Department, their offices said.

The platoon has troops from Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Mississippi and South Carolina, said Hill.

Patricia McCook, of Jackson, Miss., said her husband, Staff Sgt. Larry O. McCook, was also among those detained. She said he told her in a telephone call that he did not feel comfortable taking his soldiers on another trip.

"He told me that three of the vehicles they were to use were 'deadlines' ... not safe to go in a hotbed like that," she said, the newspaper reported.

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Associated Press writers Samira Jafari in Montgomery, Ala., and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, S.C., contributed to this report.

© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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As one of those who helped organize the support demonstration for the soldiers who refused orders in Iraq, I think it is a mistake to refer to them as "mutineers" or to say that they carried out a "mutiny". I say this for two reasons:

First of all, to call them "mutineers" implies that they are guilty of this crime. As far as I know, the military is not planning to charge them with this, but if they did and they got ahold of such articles, I think it would help set them up for this. If I am not mistaken, "mutiny" is a capital offense.

Secondly, we should consider who we are appealing to. Yes, I know that revolutionaries feel a certain way about mutiny among the troops. However, we are also very few and far between. I think we should be appealing to working class people here. Given that, I think it's much better to say that they went on strike. This action has a strong tradition here amongst workers.

The US governments spit on soldiers after release. Take a look at the vets in the streets, the forced experiments, forced injections, and felonies for parking on their US government piss scented property.

I served the military. Since then I have lost my right to vote, to attend government meetings, or even have a voice.

The regiment that deserted should storm D.C., stop the war, and lynch anyone who gets in the way.

America is a lost cause and we are being led by those who do not care about common Americans or anyone else.

I learned the hard way...we are on the verge of war with our own governments.

Come to Alabama, Come to Los Angeles, Take a ride on the highway in between, and you will get a glimpse of Hell if you look under the facade those fascist pigs have erected.

Never Again Serve The Beasts. They are the betrayers. They are the Democrat and Republican Parties and their billionaire and millionaire supporters, including dope smugglers and money launderers within the US governments.

Support All Freedom Fighters Through-Out the World. We are not safe in our homes or on our highways in this most screwed up nation.

Bush is a crazy S.O.B. and has robbed us along with the crew that stood behind, Reagan, Clinton, Bush Sr. and Jr..

If those fascists ever start to attack Europe, let us hope that someone can gut their leaders before they make it past D.C. lines.

The gloves are off and the brass knuckles are in play. They are killing us and our will as a nation. Let us not shed a tear when freedom fighters kill them.

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