Procedure for avoiding capture in Iraq

Ryan Lenz, AP:

Few American soldiers have been kidnapped by insurgents in Iraq, due largely to strict military procedures for those on patrol or at checkpoints.

The gruesome killings of two kidnapped U.S. soldiers showed just how important those measures are, and pose a central question: was there a breakdown in what the military calls "force protection" procedures?

U.S. troops in Iraq travel in groups of about 15 in at least three vehicles - usually armored Humvees. If a convoy has more than four Humvees, often units will split into groups of two to patrol more area.

But a single Humvee patrol is not allowed.

In the case of the soldiers kidnapped Friday, a farmer later told The Associated Press that he saw insurgents swarm a U.S. checkpoint in a region south of Baghdad known as the "Triangle of Death."

The farmer said the insurgents managed to draw away two Humvees by firing on them. When they chased the attackers, the insurgents killed the driver of the third Humvee that stayed behind. Two Americans - presumably Pfc. Kristian Menchaca and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, both of the Fort Campbell, Ky.-based 101st Airborne Division - were captured.

An Iraqi Defense Ministry official said the men were tortured and "killed in a barbaric way;" al-Qaida in Iraq claimed they were "slaughtered" like animals - language suggesting the men were beheaded.

Operating in convoys works in part because American firepower, spread out, is readily available to counter-attack if a vehicle is targeted. Usually, insurgents don't get too close, instead opting to trigger roadside bombs from a distance, said Bruce Hoffman, counterinsurgency expert at RAND Corp. in Washington.

"That lowers the risk for the insurgents," he said. But "there's less opportunity to engage in combat and snatch someone on patrol or while he's wounded. They've deprived themselves from that opportunity by relying on the IED (improvised explosive device)."

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Procedures also aim to keep track of troops so no one is left behind, either by accident or because of the chaos of war.

The Army requires all soldiers in Iraq to have a "battle buddy," a term used to describe pairings of soldiers who are responsible for the well-being of each other at all times. If something happens to one soldier, the other must offer protection and help.

"Guys have to take care of each other," said Spc. Anthony Neal, 22, of Phoenix, Ariz., of the Army's 68th Armor Regiment.

The military requires units leaving the confines of secure U.S. compounds in Iraq to follow strict checks to ensure the safety of every member "going outside the wire," as they call it.

A head count is called into post commanders before leaving, and the count must match when they return.

Once on patrol, units rarely split up, and if they do, troops are not permitted to operate alone whether it's to secure a house, a corner or even to watch their trucks as others walk about.

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The farmer's description of events is consistent with a classic ruse that has been used for hundreds of years. It is surprising that US troops had not been briefed on the tactic. The US rules of engagement have also prevented the type of attack used in Beirut and at Khobar Towers. Some civilians still don't get it and wind up getting killed because they failed to follow orders.