Support: February 21, 2003

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During the 1991 Gulf War, U.S. troops advancing in Kuwait were overwhelmed by 69,000 Iraqi troops trying to surrender all at once. Thousands of other Iraqi soldiers had already deserted, and many more were seen walking, or driving, back to Iraq. This time around, the U.S. Army is readying thousands of military police (MP) units to deal with surrendering Iraqis. The MPs are being taught how to deal with large numbers of prisoners. This includes what degrees of force, including lethal force, can be applied under what situations. The troops are also learning key Arabic phrases and brushing up on martial arts moves. About a third of the reserve MPs are women, and there is some concern that at least a few Iraqis will react badly to being ordered around by female American soldiers. While Iraq is one of the more liberal Arab nations, when it comes to the treatment of women, most Iraqi men are not accustomed to taking order from a woman, even a woman with a gun.