While the four were standing at the gate a HMMWV arrived with two Marines transporting an Iraqi POW in rear of the vehicle. The two MP sergeants were standing on each side of the HMMWV too busy obtaining information from the two Marines to notice that the Kuwaiti officers went to the back of the vehicle and yanked out the Iraqi POW. The POW had no shoes and a tankers coveralls on, his hands were zip cuffed in front of him and he was holding a sleeping bag. The MPs had standing orders that they were never to interfere with any Arab on Arab incidents, so they could only watch as the two Kuwaiti officers walked the POW up the overpass sidewalk. Once they reached the top, one pulled a pistol out and shot him 9 times. The MPs stood their ground in shock, the Marines, having delivered their POW to the gate, departed immediately. When the gunshots were fired on the overpass the MP crews in the HMMWV’s at the gate heard them but could not see what was happening, fortunately they held their fire.

        The two Kuwaiti officers threw the POW’s body over the railing and washed the blood from the sidewalk with a can of gasoline they removed from their vehicle. The convoy of missiles arrived at the gate and one Kuwaiti officer told the “MPs you didn’t see a thing and thank you for saving Kuwait,” before accompanying the convoy into the airfield.

        At the time of the gun fire the MPs in the gun trucks notified TOC of the shooting they heard. Once the details were sorted out 411th headquarters ordered an investigation. 1SG Julius E. Reithoffer assigned me to go to the main gate, secure the scene and initiate an investigation until CID arrived. At 1700 Hours the next day CID finally arrived and took custody of the shooting scene and investigation.

SSG (Retired) Ralph E. Jeffries, Assistant Operations Sergeant, 411th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion,1975-1976 and 1990-1993.