Muslim US soldier kills at own camp

‘‘He’s a Muslim, and it seems he was just against the war,’’ said one US military source, who did not wish to be identified. Another US military source said the assault appeared to be well-planned with the suspect first knocking out a generator that supplied electricity to the tents and then lobbing in grenades.

He also allegedly opened fire with his rifle before he was tackled and detained. The soldier had apparently been attached to the division for a few months.

Brigade commander Colonel Ben Hodges, who suffered a slight flesh wound in the attack, said a grenade was rolled into each of three tents at the command area at Camp Pennsylvania, the Kuwait base for the 1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division. ‘‘It is just unbelievable. It’s terroristic,’’ said Captain James McGahey. ‘‘Everybody is a bit jumpy, edgy. You never want, especially at a time like this, to have to have to think whether you can trust the guy to your left or your right.’’

Time correspondent Jim Lacey, who witnessed the attack, described scenes of what he called chaos and carnage when the grenades exploded, saying soldiers thought they had come under Iraqi missile attack.

‘‘A soldier assigned to the division was taken into custody following the attack,’’ US Central Command, said in a statement. The attack stunned members of the 101st Airborne Division, which specialises in rapid air assault advances, just as it was preparing to move into Iraq to join the invasion which began on Thursday.

Lacey described the man as disgruntled and said he had been ‘‘acting strange’’, but military sources said the attack appeared to be ‘‘politically motivated’’ rather than personal. US Central Command did not name the suspect or comment on a possible motive. A photograph shown on CNN portrayed the suspect bare-headed and kneeling outside a tent in his desert fatigues with his hands cuffed behind his back. A flak-jacketed soldier stood over him with a weapon.

Major Hugh Cate, a spokesman for the 101st Airborne, said 16 people were hit by the attack. One died before arriving at hospital, three others underwent surgery and the other 12 were only slightly wounded. (Reuters)