Do you live in a cave Grand Slam?
Former U.S. Army Specialist John Brasfield took a tape recorder with him to the Gulf War. He captured soldiers on tape saying fellow Americans had shot unarmed Iraqi prisoners. (ABCNEWS.com)
Transcript: Slaughter on the Battlefield?
During his service in the Persian Gulf, Specialist John Brasfield carried a small tape recorder so that he could send recordings from the Iraqi war zone back to his wife in the U.S. Brasfield, now a pilot who recently left the Army after serving in Kosovo, happened to be recording when he and other former U.S. Army scouts say American fighting vehicles began firing on unarmed Iraqi prisoners. The following was recorded on Feb. 27, 1991.
The tape begins just after the scouts, who were ordered to disarm the Iraqi soldiers, depart from a group of more than 200 Iraqi prisoners. Just seconds after leaving the area, the scouts say they witness their fellow soldiers fire in the direction of the unarmed Iraqis. The scout vehicle is still so close to the scene that they say they catch ricochets.
[Sgt. Douglas on Platoon Net]
50 this is 57 roger break
[Sgt. Douglas on Platoon Net]
The lead company behind us is firing up all those vehicles, uh, I hope they understand what a Humvee looks like, over. [The Bravos are shooting so close to them that the scouts later told ABCNEWS that they were hoping that they were recognized as U.S. forces.]
[Lt. Allen on Platoon Net]
Unintelligible … a-- end to the task force … [unintelligible] … so they can see the VS-17. [A VS-17 panel is a large panel that is bright orange on one side and a bright hot pink on the other. They are draped across the back of vehicles so that they would be easily seen by forces from the rear.]
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
Turn right so as…
[Sgt. Douglas on Platoon Net]
Fifty this is 57 as I was coming up here, I had 25 mike mike blowing up 500 meters behind me with my a-- end showing.
[Lt. Allen on Platoon Net]
Roger. Cause you weren’t supposed to be in that area.
[Sgt. Mulig or Sgt. Testerman on Platoon Net]
We’re getting ricochets real close why don’t they, there’s no one shooting at them, why do they have to shoot? [The scouts said later that they could not understand why Bravo Company was shooting because the only Iraqis in the area were Enemy Prisoners of War or EPWs.]
[Lt. Allen on Battalion Net]
November 44 this is Bravo 56. You're shooting but there is no one there to shoot at.
[Spc. Manchester in Vehicle]
[unintelligible] What company is that? [unintelligible]
[Spc. Manchester in Vehicle]
What element is it that is firing? [unintelligible]
[Spc. Manchester in Vehicle]
Sir, what element is firing ?[unintelligible]
[Spc. Manchester in Vehicle]
Hey Sir.
[Spc. Manchester on Fire Support Net]
Zulu 63, Bravo 63 over.
[Spc. Manchester in Vehicle]
Hey Sir.
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
What?
[Spc. Manchester in Vehicle]
What element is firing behind us?
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
I have no f------ idea.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
I thought it was X-ray.
[Spc. Manchester on Fire Support Net]
Xray 63, Bravo 63 over.
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
That white thing is about [unintelligible] meters whatever it is.
[Spc. Manchester on Fire Support Net]
Xray 63 this is Bravo 63 over.
[Sgt. Mulig on Platoon Net]
58, 56.
[SFC Chatelaine on Platoon Net]
58.
The following conversation relates to a second group of prisoners that had been wounded and treated by the scouts, and who, the scouts say, were also being fired on by the Bradleys.
[Sgt. Mulig on Platoon Net]
Roger when the … when the guys are wounded and they asked us if they’re prisoners and then one’s missing an eye and asked if he’s a prisoner and I say “yes” and he goes “thank Allah” uh why are, why are we shooting at these people when they are not shooting at us?
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
I know … they wanna surrender … f------ armored vehicles they don’t have blow ’em apart.
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
What the f--- was that?
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
I don’t know but it came too f------ close.
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
This is f----- … what the f------ d---heads.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
They’re facing us sir. God d---.
[Lt. Allen on Battalion Net]
Guidons, Guidons, I don’t know why you are firing cause there is nothing moving up here. We’re catching ricochets up here.
[Spc. Manchester on Fire Support Net]
X-ray 63. Tell the Bradleys to cease fire cause they’re firing at us now.
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
Look at that s---.
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
What are they firing at?
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
I don’t know, but.
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
[unintelligible] … firing at that white thing out there looks like.
[Sgt. Kenan on Platoon Net]
50, got your time for a [unintelligible] stop.
[Lt. Allen on Platoon Net]
50
[Lt. Col. Ware on Battalion Net]
Bravo 56 this is November 44.
[Unknown on Platoon Net]
This is 51. There is the town of Basrah.
[Lt. Allen on Battalion Net]
This is Bravo 56.
[Lt. Col. Ware on Battalion Net]
I’m at 6888. Where are you, over?
[Lt. Allen on Battalion Net]
697877 over.
[Lt. Col. Ware on Battalion Net]
Hold fire ’til we clear the scouts. I say again all units, hold fire ’til we clear the scouts, over. [This is the ceasefire called by Lt. Col. Ware. It halts the firing by the Bradleys. It occurs 4 minutes, 22 seconds into the tape.]
[Spc. Manchester in Vehicle]
Thank you.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
Thank you.
Now the scouts move on. In this next section of the transcript, the scouts discuss the fact that the rest of their company is firing on Iraqi military vehicles. The scouts told ABCNEWS that they were upset because they did not think that these vehicles posed any threat.
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
Hey, Sir. You what me to fire up that thing out there…that white thing?
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
For what reason?
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
I don’t know.
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
No.
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
They’re firing at the vehicle we just destroyed.
[Lt. Allen on Platoon Net]
Six this is zero. I got the Task Force to stop firing … [unintelligible]…surrender.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
See, the guys toasted in the back of that truck when we drove by…man.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
They killed a lot of people that didn’t have to be killed because if they would have moved their company up there … everybody would have gave up, I guarantee it. Light Infantry is not going to take on.
Scouts, we’re just about at 6988. Can you see us?
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
Roger.
[Spc. Manchester in Vehicle]
We see ‘em all. F------ a--holes.
[Lt. Allen on Battalion Net]
Roger.
[Lt. Col. Ware on Battalion Net]
Roger stay to the rear of X-ray, stay to the rear of X-ray, look for second brigade on the southern side of the hardball, over.
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
Southern side?
[Lt. Allen on Battalion Net]
Wilco.
[Lt. Col. Ware on Battalion Net]
As soon as X-ray passes you let me know and then we’ll go ahead and have weapons free.
[Unknown on Platoon Net]
50, 52, over.
[Lt. Allen on Battalion Net]
This is 50. Once the, uh, taskforce passes we’re gonna bolt to the right rear of X-ray and maintain, uh, [untelligible.]
[Lt. Col. Ware on Battalion Net]
Ask him if he knows where his scouts are? Does he have a fix on them before we start again?
[Bravo Company Commander on Battalion Net]
This is X-ray, I’ve got the scouts right to my front.
[Commentary: Next two items are simultaneous.]
[Unknown on Platoon Net]
This is 52, roger, I just put two more quarts in my [unintelligible] drive. I need to know from you when I can link up with the UMCP and get a new one, over.
[Lt. Col. Ware on Battalion Net]
I know where my scouts are but we have some 37 scouts [unintelligible].
[Lt. Allen on Platoon Net]
[unintelligible]
[Delta 44 on Battalion Net]
November 07 this is, uh, Delta 44. We’ve got about 25 dismounts with, uh, no weapons and [unintelligible].
[Unknown on Platoon Net]
I got a [unintelligible] drive, I can still roll but I got to put oil in it all the time. I’m gonna need a new one. I need to know when to get it.
[Lt. Col. Ware on Battalion Net]
Roger, get, uh, get a platoon to search ‘em, guide ‘em toward the highway, get ‘em [unitelligible] in formation to the highway, get out and search them and make sure they don’t have any weapons and if they do destroy them, over, and then have that platoon catch up.
[Lt. Allen on Platoon Net]
Roger 51, [unintelligible].
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
Who’s that to my right and to my front there?
[Spc. Manchester in Vehicle]
Can’t tell who that and Zulu.
[Spc. Brasfield]
Delta.That’s Bravo.
[Spc. Manchester in Vehicle]
That’s right, you f----- up. That’s why I’m giving you the finger. Dumb s---.
[Unknown on Platoon Net]
Zero, 5, be advised that the EPW behind me has a leg wound.
[Lt. Allen on Platoon Net]
This is zero, roger and [unintelligible].
[Spc. Manchester in Vehicle]
[unintelligible].
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
They’re gonna probably waste ’em and watch. They’re gonna waste all of these guys and they’re armored vehicles and they don’t have to do it.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
What was that thing the towed was fired at? Some kind of launcher?
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
Some type of launcher like a frog.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
I don’t know but 52 did a beautiful hit on it.
[Spc. Manchester in Vehicle]
[unintelligible] f----- a--holes [unintelligible].
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
Here comes their field trains.
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
What?
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
Here comes their field trains.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
I hope they didn’t kill all those guys back there.
[Bravo Company Commander on Battalion Net]
Ah this is X-ray I’m clearing the scouts.
In this next section, the scouts later told ABCNEWS that they questioned why they had wasted time feeding and caring for the Iraqi prisoners only to have follow-on units kill them.
[Sgt. Mulig]
Well, all the guys that were there with their hands up just got waxed so my effort was wasted. [This is a reference to the second group of EPWs. The scouts had given them medical attention.]
[Lt. Allen on Platoon Net]
By the company [unintelligible].
[Sgt. Mulig]
They’re coming up from my right rear and they just waxed all the guys that were just sitting there all bunched together [unintelligible] - believed to be “with no weapons and bleeding?”
We’re gonna hold.
[Lt. Allen on Platoon Net]
Three-15’s on the right. their main body is about 8 clicks back and we ’re looking for their scouts and [unintelligible].
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
[unintelligible] killing people we didn’t have to.
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
[unintelligible].
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
Huh?
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
[unintelligible].
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
All they had to do was pull up on that road.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
Why? Why?
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
Why are they shooting?
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
They don’t have to kill ‘em.
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
I know they don’t.
[At this point, Sgt.. Pierce is talking to someone in the background.]
[Note: Next two conversations happen simultaneously.]
[Spc. Manchester in Vehicle]
Sir, they shot and they shot up all the EPWs.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
It’s a light-skinned vehicle and now that one we killed I understand that … that could kill us like that.
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
Oh, yeah. They were f------ running and they had weapons.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
They had to do that and that vehicle had to be killed and you know they could’ve thrown it out to the side if they woulda wanted to, but these trucks that are pulling people? They don’t have to kill ‘em.
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
Nah.
[Note: Spc. Brasfield starts to say something and is interrupted by Lt. Allen.]
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
It’s mechanized against light infantry and [unintelligible] sit on the ground and what are you gonna do, shoot against a f------ tank?
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
You can see an RPG too far out and you can see it as soon as they shot the RPG at you, you can see it.
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
You can react to that.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle.]
You can react to that, too. You got plenty of time.
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
56 also did the wrong thing by shooting at it.
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
Yep, and [unintelligible].
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
Well, I understand why he did that. They picked the wrong time to do it though.
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
Yeah ,cause we were right in the line of fire and [unintelligible].
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
What gets me is these guys don’t want to fight and you saw the equipment we blew up … they coulda wasted us.
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
They’ve got good equipment.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
They’re coming down the road.
[Bravo Company Commander on Battalion Net]
November, this is X-ray, we’ve got a truck with troops on it moving our right limit that road we’re engaging.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
Don’t shoot it.
[Spc. Manchester in Vehicle]
Bravo Company [unintelligible].
[Lt. Col. Ware on Battalion Net]
Roger. Engage.
[Unknown scout somewhere near vehicle]
[unintelligible]. All fired up. [unintelligible].
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
See, he’s telling them to engage.
[Lt. Col. Ware on Battalion Net]
All elements, all elements Delta. We’re gonna slow it down until we can make contact on the blink and we are running off leaving the rest of the brigade and the rest of the division, over.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
Why don’t you tell ‘em sir that they are willing to surrender and tell him that and tell the commander that.
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
[unintelligible]. It’s illegal. [unintelligible]. When we captured all those prisoners, 150 down the way.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
It’s murder.
[Spc. Manchester in Vehicle]
[unintelligible].
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
That’s what it is and all they do is f------ hose them.
[Note: The next transmission by Lt. Col. Ware overlaps the previous three bits of conversation.]
[Lt. Col. Ware on Battalion Net]
Scouts, I need you to tell me when you get contact down on your southern flank with the 3/15 scouts and hold in place until they catch up and then you move to catch up with us, but once you catch up let me know and once they catch up and make contact with you I need to know that, over.
[Lt. Allen on Battalion Net]
This is Bravo. Roger.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
It really upsets me. All’s they had to do was bring a company up there and they could have had a thousand prisoners by the end of the day.
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
Oh yeah.
[Unknown scout near Vehicle]
Easily, they would have kept on … they …
[Spc. Brasfield on Vehicle]
I mean those guys were scared s---less of us and we’re in this.
[Unknown scout near Vehicle]
[unintelligible] all crying and s---.
[Spc. Brasfield on Vehicle]
Yeah, the guys in the truck that Sgt. Mulig was firing his pistol, they were all inside and doing this and they didn’t know what to do. That’s why they kept going.
[Unknown scout near Vehicle]
Yeah? [unintelligible].
[Spc. Brasfield on Vehicle]
They didn’t know what was going on [unintelligible].
[Spc. Brasfield on Vehicle]
They figured we were just going to kill ‘em.
[Sgt. Pierce on Vehicle]
Sgt. Mulig should have fired [unintelligible].
[Lt. Allen on Vehicle]
No. Or he would have kept going.
[Lt. Allen on Vehicle]
At least those guys in that group got a chance.
[Spc. Brasfield on Vehicle]
I hope they didn’t wax all the vehicles around them.
At this point the scout platoon is stopped, and Sgt. Mulig has discussed with the soldiers in the rear vehicle what they say was the shooting at the group of 200-300 Iraqi prisoners they had just disarmed.
[Sgt. Mullig]
They killed those guys.
[Unknown scout near Vehicle]
Which ones? The ones we just left?
[Unknown scout near Vehicle]
The ones we just left?
[Unknown scout near Vehicle - believed to be Sgt. Mulig]
The one’s we just left, they fired em up and the vehicles. Bravo Company did [unintelligible] why you firing them up?
[Spc. Brasfield on Vehicle]
They just killed, shot the guys we gathered up.
[Lt. Allen on Vehicle]
No!
[Sgt. Mullig]
They fired ’em up.
[Lt. Allen on Vehicle]
No! There’s no way.
[Unknown scout near Vehicle]
[unintelligible]
[Spc. Manchester on Vehicle]
[unintelligible]X-ray 63 and I said I said are you engaging right now, and he goes a whole bunch of dismounts around vehicles.
Manchester is relating to his platoon leader, Lt. Allen a conversation that he had earlier had with a member of the Bravo company in which Manchester was told the Bravo company was engaging a group of dismounts, which Manchester took to mean the Iraqi EPWs.
[Spc. Brasfield on Vehicle]
They didn’t have no weapons.
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
Bravo was in front of us.
[Spc. Manchester on Vehicle]
Roger, but when they were behind us. Remember?
[Unknown scout near Vehicle]
F------ [unintelligible]behind us.
[Spc. Brasfield on Vehicle]
They … They knew the grid at the prisoners, right?
[Lt. Allen on Battalion Net]
X-ray 44, this is Bravo 56.
[Lt. Allen on Battalion Net]
X-ray 44, this is Bravo 56.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
Who’s moving to the front of us?
[Spc. Manchester in Vehicle]
Bravo.
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
X-ray.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
They’re going to waste that truck aren’t they? [Here they again observe that a truck is about to be blown up.]
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
Probably.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
Boom, it’s dead.
[Lt. Allen on Battalion Net]
Any X-ray element, this is Bravo 56.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
[unintelligible]. If they want to give up they’re going to get killed. If they don’t want to give up they’re going to get killed.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
You know what that white thing was probably a parachute out there. And they were firing it up.
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
[unintelligible]. Illum rounds … you know they fire illum rounds out of the big guns … that was them.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
That’s really sad.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
How many prisoners did we have?
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
[unintelligible]
over 70 before [unintelligible] got there.
[Lt. Allen on Vehicle]
Over a hundred.
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
Over that, I would say.
[Spc. Manchester in Vehicle]
Between a hundred, hundred and fifty.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
They‘ dead meat, trucks coming down this.
Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
Exactly, They‘ heading back towards Baghdad, retreating from Kuwait City like that one truck with all the, uh, weapons on it. They had radios, they had two clocks still in boxes. Um.
[Spc. Brasfield in Vehicle]
Clocks?
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
You know, clocks you hang on the wall. You know, um, real fancy ones. And uh. They had like rugs. Uh s--- like that. They’re just f------ coming back from Kuwait City and heading home. [unintelligible]
[Lt. Allen on Platoon Net]
Uh 56, is that 3/15 on the right?
[Sgt. Mulig on Platoon Net]
This is six, I can’t identify because of the road that goes up like a little rise there and I can’t see on the other side.
[Lt. Allen on Platoon Net]
Roger, two can you see anything?
[November 07 on Battalion Net]
44, 07.
[Lt. Col. Ware on Battalion Net]
This is 44.
[November 07 on Battalion Net]
Roger, [unintelligible].
[Lt. Col. Ware on Battalion Net]
Negative, he’s about seven clicks behind us.
[Lt. Col. Ware on Battalion Net]
Standby. X-ray, I’ve got a lot of vehicles and stuff off to my right flank, can you see them, over?
Charlie, slow it down, slow it down Charlie, Delta slow it down. We got, ah, we got resistance on the right flank.
[Unknown on Battalion Net]
Roger, uh, negative we do not identify vehicles. There’s a lot of barrels out there, over.
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
Hey there’s resistance. I don’t think so.
[Lt.. Col.. Ware on Battalion Net]
Roger, give me a grid, over.
[Sgt. Pierce in Vehicle]
Who said that?
[Unknown on Battalion Net]
965848
[Lt. Allen in Vehicle]
I think there’s vehicles but there’s no resistance.
[Unknown on Platoon Net]
I think Delta Company had the right idea about that little [unintelligible], over.
[Delta 44 on Battalion Net]
November 89 this is Delta 44, over … correction November 07, over.
[November 07 on Battalion Net]
November 07.
[Lt. Allen on Platoon Net]
[unintelligible].
[Delta 44 on Battalion Net]
Roger. It looks like the rear elements back there at the bat … brigade are shooting behind us break … can we have them stop firing.
[November 07 on Battalion Net]
Roger. I just talked to them break … uh … they want us to clear the stuff, uh, south of 90 gridline [unintelligible].
