15 IRAQI ARMY SOLDIERS "CUT, RUN AND SURRENDER" IN BASRA

Now it is the IRAQ ARMY soldiers that are "cutting, running and surrendering" in Basra. 15 IRAQ ARMY soldiers surrendered to a number of Sadr offices rather than continue fighting.

This leaves the whole mess in Basra up to U.S. forces.

President Bush had told a nationwide TV audience on Thursday that he was proud of how the IRAQI ARMY were performing in Basra and that it was a "postiive moment" in the battle for Iraq.

Baghdad, Mar. 29, (VOI) – 15 Iraqi soldiers surrendered to a number of Sadr offices, escaping their duties, said the official spokesperson of Baghdad Operations Command (Fardh Al-Qanoon) on Saturday, while clashes between security forces and Sadr's militiamen continued for 6th day running throughout Iraq .

Baghdad - Voices of Iraq Saturday , 29 /03 /2008 Time 11:24:26

http://www.aswataliraq.info/look/english/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrArticle=74680&NrIssue=2&NrSection=1

Major General Qassim Atta also admitted that the civilian spokesperson of Baghdad Operations Command, Tahseen al-Sheikhli, is still abducted, but in a "safe place."Atta said in a press conference in Baghdad "With the presence of this big number of Iraqi troops, it is possible that some escaping cases may happen."

"The registered number that we have is that 15 soldiers were able to escape," Atta explained.

Reports recently said that a number of Iraqi soldiers and policemen surrendered to Sadr offices in Baghdad and Basra, refusing to battle Mahdi Army gunmen. Atta considered this issue normal, due to "the presence of more than 50 thousand governmental fighters in Baghdad."

"Commander in Chief, Nouri Al-Maliki, ordered to prosecute those soldiers according to the Military Punishments Law," Atta asserted. He admitted that the civilian spokesperson of Baghdad Security Plan, Tahseen al-Sheikhli, was kidnapped in Baghdad on Thursday.

"Yes Tahseen al-Sheikhli was kidnapped by unknown gunmen at Al-Ameen Al-Thaniya neighborhood (southeastern Baghdad), and he was taken to unknown place," Atta said.

He added "Al-Sheikhli poned Baghdad Operations Command on Friday, and he is in a safe place, and until now no side announced responsibility for kidnapping him, or put any conditions to release him."

Police sources had announced on Thursday that gunmen raided al-Sheikhli's house in Al-Ameen Al-Thaniya neighborhood, and took him to unknown place.MH/SK