US soldiers mutinied ‘because they felt ignored’

US soldiers who staged a mutiny and refused to go on a convoy in Iraq felt commanders ignored their plight when they complained about the safety and condition of their vehicles, their relatives said yesterday.

Ricky Shealey, father of one of 18 soldiers who face discipline for refusing an order to go on a convoy last week, said his son’s commanders dismissed complaints they were being asked to transport contaminated fuel in broken-down trucks.

“The command just totally ignored them when they told them this fuel was contaminated and they were still gonna send them out with contaminated fuel. They were completely aware of this situation and I believe it’s a command issue, not a soldier issue,” Shealey told CBS’s Early Show.