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ICRC awaits notification from Iraq, United States on PoWs
Geneva, Mar 24: The International Committee of the Red Cross said today that Iraqi authorities and coalition forces have yet to give it information about prisoners captured by both sides in the US-led war on Iraq.
Geneva, Mar 24: The International Committee of the Red Cross said today that Iraqi authorities and coalition forces have yet to give it information about prisoners captured by both sides in the US-led war on Iraq.
ICRC spokeswoman Nadia Doumani said the humanitarian
organization was still awaiting official notification that
Iraq holds several US soldiers believed captured after Iraqi
forces ambushed an army supply convoy.
"We don't want to make any comment until we've been notified formally," Doumani told.
US officials confirmed that 12 soldiers were missing after the attack. Yesterday, in a broadcast by the Arab satellite station al-Jazeera with footage from state-controlled Iraqi television five soldiers were shown being questioned by Iraqi interrogators.
The broadcast also showed at least four bodies in uniform in an Iraqi morgue that it said were those of American soldiers.
The US military says it has more than 2,000 Iraqi prisoners of war.
Doumani said the ICRC had been in touch with Iraqi, US and British authorities.
"We've contacted them all in the same way on the subject," she said. "They know the way we work and they know the Geneva conventions."
The 1949 Geneva conventions -- which set basic humanitarain standards in armed conflict -- empower the ICRC to visit PoWs and monitor their treatment.
Bureau Report
"We don't want to make any comment until we've been notified formally," Doumani told.
US officials confirmed that 12 soldiers were missing after the attack. Yesterday, in a broadcast by the Arab satellite station al-Jazeera with footage from state-controlled Iraqi television five soldiers were shown being questioned by Iraqi interrogators.
The broadcast also showed at least four bodies in uniform in an Iraqi morgue that it said were those of American soldiers.
The US military says it has more than 2,000 Iraqi prisoners of war.
Doumani said the ICRC had been in touch with Iraqi, US and British authorities.
"We've contacted them all in the same way on the subject," she said. "They know the way we work and they know the Geneva conventions."
The 1949 Geneva conventions -- which set basic humanitarain standards in armed conflict -- empower the ICRC to visit PoWs and monitor their treatment.
Bureau Report