Are the Brits in trouble in Iraq?


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British forces have rescued two UK servicemen who were arrested by Iraqi police in the southern city of Basra.

Basra governor Mohammed al-Waili said it was a "barbaric act of aggression".

The arrests sparked clashes in which UK tanks came under attack. Two civilians were reportedly killed and three UK soldiers were injured.

Witnesses told the Associated Press around 150 prisoners escaped during the operation but Iraqi officials later denied any prisoners had escaped.

Earlier, two British tanks, sent to the police station where the soldiers were being held, were set alight in clashes.

British officials would not say if the two men were working undercover

Crowds of angry protesters hurled petrol bombs and stones injuring three servicemen and several civilians.

Source (BBC)

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British soldiers being arrested by Iraqi police... hmm... wonder what's happening. Then they shoot at each other, 6 tanks go through a jail, etc... strange stuff.

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Wow that is terrible. I guess we need more information but this seems rediculous. I sure hope that the army comes clean on what happened and any deserving people are punished.

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Now, every time there is an terrorist attack in Iraq, people will ask, "Was it the insurgents, or the British or Americans dressed like insurgents?"

I mean, a car full of explosives? Shooting civilians, getting arrested by the Iraqi police, then busted out by the military (and letting other criminals escape when they destroyed the jail)? If the British don't respect the Iraqi police and can break prisoners free, why can't everyone else?

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story.burning.vehicle.ap.jpg

British Defense Ministry Secretary John Reid confirmed two British military personnel were "released," but he gave no details on how they were freed.

In a statement released in London, Reid did not say why the two had been taken into custody. But the Iraqi official, who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity, said their arrests stemmed from an incident earlier in the day.

The official said two unknown gunmen in full Arabic dress began firing on civilians in central Basra, wounding several, including a traffic police officer. There were no fatalities, the official said.

The two gunmen fled the scene but were captured and taken in for questioning, admitting they were British marines carrying out a "special security task," the official said.

British troops launched the rescue about three hours after Iraqi authorities informed British commanders the men were being held at the police department's major crime unit, the official said.

Iraqi police said members of Iraq's Mehdi Army militia engaged the British forces around the facility, burning one personnel carrier and an armored vehicle.

Video showed dozens of Iraqis surrounding British armored vehicles and tossing gasoline bombs, rocks and other debris at them.

With one vehicle engulfed in flames, a soldier opened the hatch and bailed out as rocks were thrown at him. Another photograph showed a British soldier on fire on top of a tank.

"Many of those present were clearly prepared well in advance to cause trouble, and we believe that the majority of Iraq people would deplore this violence," Reid said.

Reid said both troops were "being treated for minor injuries only and are expected to return to duty shortly."

He said British forces "remain committed to helping the Iraqi government for as long as they judge that a coalition presence is necessary to provide security.

"The situation in Basra is currently calmer after a day of disturbances. At this stage, it is not possible to be certain why these disturbances began," he said.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/09/19/...main/index.html

Edited by curme
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Breaking your mates out of prison has happened since World war feckin' 1. You either sit back allow your friend to be taken prisoner, or get your fully trained soldier out of there to get back to his duty.

I'm sorry, but I wouldn't leave my fellow soldiers behind.

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they were caught wearing arab clothing with a car packed with high explosives hmmmmn sounds to me like "insurgents" i have said it before and will say it again our governments are the terrorists.

the sooner you all accept that the sooner we can fix the problem.

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Breaking your mates out of prison has happened since World war feckin' 1. You either sit back allow your friend to be taken prisoner, or get your fully trained soldier out of there to get back to his duty.

I'm sorry, but I wouldn't leave my fellow soldiers behind.

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Ummm, from how it reads, they were arrested by Iraqi police, the people they set up and were there, supposedly, to support.

Considering their purpose for being there, I cannot imagine that a full military response was the only choice they had. The WW1 option was when soldiers were being held by an enemy force, not a friendly one. On the other hand, there is precedent that when your soldier is arrested (note the distinction from being taken prisoner) by a local government, you work with the locals to transfer the soldiers into your custody and allow military code to preside over their punishment.

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It was mostly like SAS who ran out of ammo and then got captured. Yeah sure it's SAS but they must be off been cornered but they must of phone in to a base that why like 6 tanks showed up to break in to the prison. Hence why it was quick and the army refuses to name the people captured

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According to some reports, the Iraqi police force that the US established is full of local militia. So, even thought they were technically Iraqi police, they could be working for a local warlord, excercising their own regional law. Crooked cops.

EDIT: From a couple of months ago:

Basra out of control, says chief of police

Families can still stroll but militia gangs hold power in port city

Rory Carroll in Basra

Tuesday May 31, 2005

The Guardian

The chief of police in Basra admitted yesterday that he had effectively lost control of three-quarters of his officers and that sectarian militias had infiltrated the force and were using their posts to assassinate opponents.

Speaking to the Guardian, General Hassan al-Sade said half of his 13,750-strong force was secretly working for political parties in Iraq's second city and that some officers were involved in ambushes.

Other officers were politically neutral but had no interest in policing and did not follow his orders, he told the Guardian.

"I trust 25% of my force, no more."

The claim jarred with Basra's reputation as an oasis of stability and security and underlined the burgeoning influence of Shia militias in southern Iraq.

"The militias are the real power in Basra and they are made up of criminals and bad people," said the general.

"To defeat them I would need to use 75% of my force, but I can rely on only a quarter."

Guardian UK

Edited by curme
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The Faces of terrorism

UKBasraTerrorists.jpg

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So you think that we are going there and causing all the bombs and terrotism purself, just for a bit of "War Games"? If yes then you realy are in tunnel vision.

But yeah, they must have been out of ammo from what I hear, as they wouldn't have been captured if they weren't. So some ex-SAS soldier said on tv anyway.

I thought faces of serving SAS soldiers couldn't be published either? It's to protect their families. Well, when it was the whole IRA thing then it would have been a huge risk.

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