Four W.Va. soldiers captured by Iran released unharmed

WHEELING - Gov. Bob Wise said he was delighted to learn four WestVirginia Army National Guard soldiers were released unharmed afterbeing captured, blindfolded and interrogated by Iranians. "I am notat liberty to release the names of these soldiers or details of theevent," Wise said Tuesday during a visit to Wheeling. "However, it isimportant for West Virginians to know that our soldiers were notharmed and are back with United States forces."

The soldiers were among roughly 511 members of the 1092ndEngineering Battalion, based in Parkersburg, who were deployed inpreparation for war with Iraq.

They were captured Sunday, along with a civilian Army contractor,two civilian captains and two boat drivers as they sailed up theShatt al Arab waterway in the al Faw peninsula to pick up Iraqi SouthOil Co. personnel, Cmdr. Dan Gage said Tuesday from Central Commandheadquarters in Tampa, Fla.

The two civilians, who are believed to be Iranians, are stillbeing held, Gage said.

The boats were taking the oil company personnel to the Mini alBakr platform to conduct a survey of the structure when the Iraniansblindfolded them and took them to a building where they wereinterrogated throughout Sunday night, Gage said.

On Monday, the Iranians took the group back to their boats andreleased all except the two drivers, Gage said.

A Navy patrol craft located them near the waterway and took thegroup to Kuwait, where the soldiers were being debriefed Tuesday,Gage said.

He said it was unclear why the West Virginia soldiers were on theboats.

"If they were providing security, it wouldn't have been unusualfor them to be onboard," Gage said. "But they are part of theengineering battalion so they may have been there in an engineeringcapacity and not security."

The soldiers' names and hometowns were not immediately availablebecause they were held for such a short time, he said.

The group may have moved into Iranian territorial waters, he said.The Mini al Bakr platform is very close to Iran's declaredinternational water boundaries.

-30-