Dam Who Turned The Heat Up In Southern Iraq-British Troops Storm Basra Police St

[Don Rizzle]

UK soldiers 'freed from militia'
Two British soldiers whose imprisonment prompted UK troops to storm a Basra police station were later rescued from militia, the Ministry of Defence says.
Brigadier John Lorimer said it was of "deep concern" the men detained by police ended up held by Shia militia.

The soldiers - thought to have been working undercover - were accused of opening fire on local police.

The arrests sparked unrest in which Army vehicles were attacked. Reports said two Iraqi civilians were killed.

In a statement, Brig Lorimer said that under Iraqi law the soldiers should have been handed over to coalition authorities, but this failed to happen despite repeated requests.

"I had good reason to believe that the lives of the solders were at risk and troops were sent to the area of Basra near the police station to help ensure their safety by providing a cordon," Brig Lorimer said.

"As shown on television these troops were attacked with firebombs and rockets by a violent and determined crowd.


 It is of deep concern that British soldiers held by the police should then end up being held by the militia
Brig John Lorimer 

"Later in the day, however, I became more concerned about the safety of the two solders after we received information that they had been handed over to militia elements."
After troops broke into the police station to confirm the men were not there, they staged a rescue from a house in Basra, said the commanding officer of 12 Mechanised Brigade in Basra.

"I'm delighted that the two British soldiers are back with British forces and are in good health," Brig Lorimer said.

But he added: "It is of deep concern that British solders held by the police should then end up being held by the militia. This is unacceptable."

Vehicles set alight

A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesman earlier said a Warrior armoured vehicle had broken down the perimeter wall at the police station.

Basra governor Mohammed al-Waili said more than 10 vehicles and helicopters had been used in an operation that was a "barbaric act of aggression".


 We remain committed to helping the Iraqi government
Defence Secretary John Reid
 

The MoD denied witness reports to the Associated Press that about 150 prisoners escaped after the demolition of the wall.
Two British armoured vehicles earlier sent to the police station were set alight in clashes.

TV pictures showed crowds of angry protesters hurling petrol bombs and stones, and soldiers in combat gear clambering from one of the flaming vehicles and making their escape - three soldiers were reportedly injured.

In a statement, Defence Secretary John Reid said the soldiers were being treated for minor injuries.

Mr Reid added that he was not certain what had caused the disturbances.

"We remain committed to helping the Iraqi government for as long as they judge that a coalition presence is necessary to provide security," the statement said.


But Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Sir Menzies Campbell said: "It is hard to see how relations between the British military and the civilian Iraqi authorities in Basra will ever be the same again.
"This is bound to be seen as a humiliation by many Iraqis - something the insurgents will use to their advantage."

Tensions have been running high in the city since the arrest of a senior figure in the Shia Mehdi Army by UK troops.

But Colonel Tim Collins, the former commander of British troops in Iraq, described the Basra unrest as like a "busy night in Belfast".

Col Collins said it did not represent a breakdown of law and order in Basra, which was still a safer city than Baghdad.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/4262336.stm

[Don Rizzle]

update for any1 whose interested

Basra governor demands UK apology
The authorities in Basra will not co-operate with British troops until they get an apology for a raid to free two UK soldiers, its governor has said.
Mohammed al-Waili has also demanded compensation for damage caused by the raid on Monday and a "guarantee that it does not happen again".

Britain has defended its action, saying the soldiers were handed to militiamen by rogue elements in the police.

British troops have reduced their presence on the Iraqi city's streets.

For the second consecutive day British forces were not seen accompanying Iraqi police on patrols around the city, as they routinely had in the past.

And elsewhere, a roadside bomb hit a U.S. convoy in southern Baghdad, killing one soldier and wounding six.

Suspected insurgents shot at least eight Iraqis in four separate attacks on Thursday, according to officials.

Authorities in the southern Iraqi city say troops killed two Iraqi police during Monday's raid.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari and Defence Secretary John Reid that the unrest has not strained relations between the two countries.


UK soldiers have described the moment when they were forced to flee their burning armoured vehicle during Monday's unrest.

Sgt George Long, of the Staffordshire Regiment, said part of his face was on fire when he fled the Warrior vehicle.

The violence followed the rescue operation to free the two the British soldiers who had been arrested, during which a jail was partially destroyed.

Mr al-Waili said: "The governing council met... and decided to stop all co-operation with the British until they meet three demands."

Listing his wishes, he said: "To apologise for what happened, to guarantee that it does not happen again, and third, to provide some compensation for all the damage they did during the operation."

He has also demanded compensation for the families of those whom the Iraqis claim were killed during the Army operation.

The city council also wants the two British soldiers who were rescued to be handed back to the Iraqi police for interrogation.

Stewart Innes, an official with Britain's consulate in Basra, told Reuters: "We will enter negotiations with the [governing council] in order to reach a solution to our problems," he told reporters."


 Sergeant Long's back, arms and face were on fire
 

The Army said the two soldiers were taken by militants after the police ignored an order from the interior ministry to release them, but Interior Minister Baqir Solagh Jabr has denied this.

During the ensuing political fall-out, the Iraqi prime minister has met John Reid in London to discuss the tensions surrounding the Army's rescue operation.

Anti-British demonstrations continued in the city on Wednesday, according to BBC correspondents.

But Mr Jaafari moved to quell disagreements by saying the incident was still being investigated.

Optimism

The Iraqi prime minister said there was still a "desperate need" for coalition troops while the Iraqis built their own security forces.

But he added he was "optimistic" that Iraqi forces were making progress and shortening the amount of time foreign soldiers would be needed.

Meanwhile, Pte Burton, 20, described to Channel 4 News the moment his vehicle came under attack from the mob, during which a petrol bomb was thrown into the turret.

"It had seeped down in the back with the troops in the back, and down into the driver tunnel, located between the turret and the driving hatch," he said.

Pte Burton said he had to kick open the hatch before jumping through the flames to escape.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/4271234.stm

[King Tech Quadafi]

lol....the protestors starting throwing home made bombs at the soldiers lol....gully ass motherfuckers

[Don Rizzle]

Something needs to be done to stop militias in iraq or we will never be able to leave, its too fuedal no ones got any alliagence to their nation its all fractitioned.