copyright © 2003 Jeff Goode



            PRISONERS OF WAR

            By Jeff Goode



                                   Reporter

            This is Turk Mullins reporting for Hawks News Now.  We go

            beyond the Story.



                                   Enter three P.O.W.s



                                   REPORTER

            Seven U.S. P.O.W.s were recovered today, in good condition

            when the Iraqi's who were supposed to be guarding them

            flagged down a Marine convoy which was leaving the area.  Two

            of the prisoners were unshaven.  One of the prisoners was

            dressed in blue prison pajamas.  Another one wore yellow.  



                                   WEEPING P.O.W.

            They made me wear yellow.



                                   P.O.W.

            They wouldn't let me shave.  I asked for a razor.  But they

            wouldn't give me one.



                                   REPORTER

            My God!  American prisoners of war prevented from having

            straight razors and tasteful clothing.



                                   P.O.W.

            I'm good.



                                   REPORTER

            Were you scared?



                                   P.O.W.

            Hell yes.  I thought I was going to die.  When they captured

            us, that's the very first thing I said, "Are you going to

            kill me?"  And they said, "No."  But I didn't believe them.



                                   FEMALE P.O.W.

            I thought I was going to be raped or tortured.  I was

            terrified.  I thought I was going to be raped or possibly

            gang-raped.  Or possibly raped and then gang-raped and then

            tortured and then killed.



                                   REPORTER

            My God!  Tortured.



                                   P.O.W.

            I've never been so scared in my life.  Of the torture mostly.



                                   REPORTER

            You were tortured.



                                   P.O.W.

            I thought I was going to be.  And that's all that mattered.



                                   P.O.W.

            That's nothing!  One of them told me I was going to burn in

            hell for invading their country.  He said demons were going

            roast my stomach in hell and then devour me.  I was freaking

            out.



                                   REPORTER

            You heard it here, folks.  American P.O.W.s tortured with

            thoughts of torture and death and demons.  This is Beck

            Bollins going beyond the story.  You heard it here first. 

            Unless you already heard it on Fox News.  Or MSNBC.  CNN. 

            ABC.  CBS.  ESPN.  The New York Times.  Los Angeles Times. 

            USA Today.



                                   REPORTER

            And as American P.O.W.s I think only you can answer this.  Do

            you find that your 23 days of imprisonment under these

            barbaric conditions is better or worse than being a Taliban

            P.O.W. imprisoned for life without the possibility of parole

            in Guantanamo Bay Cuba.



                                   P.O.W.

            Oh, this was worse.  Much worse.



                                   P.O.W.

            Absolutely.  I didn't mind the Taliban being locked up at

            all.  But I can say from first hand experience that being a

            P.O.W. myself really sucks.



                                   P.O.W.

            Sucks ass.



                                   P.O.W.

            Yeah, sucks.

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