March 20, 2003	Thursday	Muharram 16, 1424

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WASHINGTON, March 19: Seventeen Iraqi soldiers surrendered to US and allied forces close to the Iraqi-Kuwait border on Wednesday, the Pentagon said.

The 17 were handed over to Kuwaiti police after laying down their arms and giving up.

The surrenders, at about 1500 GMT, came amid a 48-hour ultimatum given by President George Bush to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to leave his country by early on Thursday or face a massive attack.

The United States and Britain have some 280,000 troops mustered in the region readying an invasion of Iraq after Mr Saddam rejected Mr Bush’s warning to quit the country. About 174,000 are in Kuwait.