THE GULF WAR : Giving Up

There have been many signs of the rout of the Iraqi army, but perhaps the most telling was something that never happened before. A number of armed Iraqi soldiers TRIED TO SURRENDER TO A DRONE PLANE--the first time, an American officer told pool reporters, that troops in the field ever tried to surrender to a robot. So far, Iraqis have given up to newspaper reporters, to American soldiers whose own vehicles are disabled, to anyone who will take their surrender. Sometimes, when an American helicopter comes over, a handful of Iraqi troops still in the field will wave towels--white, pink and green towels. Others just put up their hands.