Captured British Troops Carried Anti-Tank Weapons

[Nbadan]

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/nm/20050920/2005_09_20t104655_450x372_us_iraq.jpghttp://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/nm/20050920/2005_09_20t105013_450x367_us_iraq.jpg

Iraq denounces British rescue in Basra


BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq denounced British forces on Tuesday over a dramatic rescue of two undercover soldiers that could stoke hostility to the army in increasingly volatile southern Iraq.

British troops used an armored fighting vehicle on Monday to burst into an Iraqi jail in search of soldiers held by police in Basra. The British commander said he learned they had been handed to militia and ordered their rescue from a nearby house.

(-----

Iraqi television on Tuesday showed footage of the two soldiers, unshaven and looking nervous as Iraqi police looked over wigs, Arab headresses, an anti-tank missile and communications equipment, all apparently used in their mission.

The images of the pair seemed sure to fuel suspicions by militias in Basra and elsewhere who believe foreign troops are on a secret mission to exploit Iraq.

ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1142658)

When did the insurgents get tanks? There needs to be a serious investigation into what exactly went on here. Sure seems that the British were desperate to get their men back from Iraqis who are supposed to be on their side.

[boutons]

Latest from BBC on the Basra incident:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4264614.stm

[Useruser666]

Does the US have any anti-tank missiles in Iraq? Yes

Why? Anti-tank weapons are standard issue equipment. They can used against an assortment of targets including tanks, apc's, and buildings.

Is it strange for troops to be found carrying such a weapon? No.

[Dos]

of course the left only want troops to carry kisses and hugs for the insurgents..

[Nbadan]

of course the left only want troops to carry kisses and hugs for the insurgents..

Yeah, still waiting for American troops to shoot at their Iraqi counter-parts and raid a Iraqi Jail in Basra with 6 tanks, but keep spinning.

[boutons]

"troops to carry kisses and hugs for the insurgents.."

they certainly aren't getting any love from the Iraqis.

[Dos]

of course you would be waiting.. so you can post it all over the forum.... bah

[Useruser666]

What did he spin? When someone doesn't agree with your conclusions it's not called spin. Get your buzz words in order.

[Nbadan]

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/afp/20050920/capt.sge.jlp68.200905100913.photo01.photo.default-384x209.jpg

The two soldiers who were detained by Iraqi police in Basra. The British army said it had rescued two of its soldiers from Shiite militiamen in southern Iraq following fears local police had colluded with the militia amid a mounting breakdown in order.(AFP/Essam Al-Sudani)

[whottt]

A US Solider would get more love than you and Nbadan ever would...you don't realize it but you two are represent everything they hate about America...along with our Hollywood Liberals. That's who they think of when they think of America. They may not kill you, at least not right now, because you are couple of useful idiots if ever there were two of them...but they'd never respect you and they'd cite you as an example of exactly what is wrong with America.


And I don't know what the point of this thread is...I mean are you somehow trying to allude that the Shi'a police force in the South is more trustworthy than our British allies? Just go to hell.

[ChumpDumper]

What an odd little drama. Hope it doesn't make things worse.

[Useruser666]

"From an early stage I had good reason to believe the lives of the two soldiers were at risk," Brigadier John Lorimer, the British commander in Basra, said in a statement.


British Defense Secretary John Reid said the two soldiers were freed when negotiations appeared blocked.

"In the course of the day we became increasingly worried that those people in there to negotiate with the police seemed to be having no success in getting our men out."


Reid said it was not clear whether the Iraqi police were under threat themselves or colluding with local militia.

Lorimer said troops had been sent to the police station where the two men had been detained to help ensure their safety.
Top Stories

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

A little more to the story huh?

[Nbadan]

They were posing as undercover Arab insurgents to draw out this one suspected 'rogue police jail' which was actually arming and supporting the 'enemy'. When the two Brits were caught spying, the tanks had to move in and free them ..... the 'rogue police jail' actually helped the other so called 150 inmates escape (they were not actually inmates, but insurgent fighters who came and went in the darkness of night over time, thus the 'sy ops' mission by the British to confirm all of this) These two Brits are actually 'hero's' to those in Iraq who want 'freedom' and 'democracy' and a confirmed suspected 'insurgent enemy hideout' has been eliminated.

This is the official story, and shall be spun that way, nothing to see here, move along. Signed, your puppet masters, the British and American Governments

[Marcus Bryant]

Newsflash

Anti-tank missles can be used against targets other than tanks.

Now back to your regularly scheduled propaganda dump.

[Useruser666]

Maybe I'm crazy, but I believe our troops and the troops of our ally's before I believe the enemy.

[Vashner]

Those are not soldiers... they are MI5 agents....

[ChumpDumper]

Both men were members of the SAS elite special forces, sources told the BBC's Richard Galpin in Baghdad.

[Vashner]

I still think they are M15.. most times SAS will wear uniform and dogtags. They just won't tell what they where doing for operational security.

[ChumpDumper]

I figure that would be difficult if they were undercover.

The wigs seem a bit comical though.

[Marcus Bryant]

Also seems a bit British if you ask me.

[ChumpDumper]

To me, that would mean they would be disguised in drag.

[Vashner]

Or disguised as press or utility contractors... M15 and CIA have 100's of Agents across the middle east..

[Nbadan]

British "Undercover Soldiers" Caught driving Booby Trapped Car
"They refused to say what their mission was."
September 20, 2005
Reuters

The following Reuters report raises some disturbing questions.


Why were undercover British "soldiers" wearing traditional Arab headscarves firing at Iraqi police?

The incident took place just prior to a major religious event in Basra.

The report suggests that the police thought the British soldiers looked "suspicious". What was the nature of their mission?

Occupation forces are supposesd to be collaborating with Iraqi authorities. Why did Britsh Forces have to storm the prison using tanks and armoured vehicles to liberate the British undercover agents?

"British forces used up to 10 tanks " supported by helicopters " to smash through the walls of the jail and free the two British servicemen."

Was there concern that the British "soldiers" who were being held by the Iraqi National Guard would be obliged to reveal the nature and objective of their undercover mission?

Global Research (http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=20050920&articleId=972)

A booby-trapped car? Shiiitt..Maybe these agents just forgot which side they were on?

[Clandestino]

dan, stfu.. you have never posted anything that shows you even have 1/10 of an ounce of any military knowledge..

[Vashner]

Like I said.. MI5...sent to either look for or kill someone...

[ChumpDumper]

The booby-trap bit was a little flavor added by Al Jaazera, not Reuters.

[Vashner]

Anyone seen that movie where the SAS dudes are in Gulf 1 and get captured?

[boutons]

The infiltration-of-Iraqi-police is just one more corner in this hellish war of 1000 dark, rotten corners:

BBC NEWS

Insurgents 'inside Iraqi police'

Iraq's National Security Adviser Muwafaq al-Rubaie has admitted the country's security forces have been infiltrated by insurgents.

Speaking on the BBC's Newsnight programme, he said he had no idea how far they have already been undermined.

It comes after the British Army said it was forced to take action to free two UK soldiers after learning Iraqi police had handed them to a militia group.

The Pentagon warned in July that Iraq's police force was recruiting insurgents.

'Clean up police'

The Iraqi government has launched an inquiry into events surrounding the arrest of the British soldiers on Monday, both thought to be members of the SAS elite special forces.

Iraq's interior ministry ordered the police force in the southern city of Basra to release the soldiers - but that order was ignored.

The British Army confirmed the troops had been handed over by police to a Shia militia group.

Mr Rubaie told Newsnight: "Our Iraqi security forces in general, and these in particular and in many parts of Iraq, I have to admit that they have been penetrated by some of the insurgents, some of the terrorists as well, so I can't deny this."

He said Iraq now had "a very scrupulous, very meticulous vetting procedure" to "clean our security forces, as well as stop any penetration in future from the insurgents or the terrorists".

He admitted he did not know to what extent the security forces were already infiltrated by insurgents.

Criminals in ranks

However, Mr Rubaie criticised the British military's use of force instead of negotiation in freeing its troops on Monday.

"They could have been freed in a much more peaceful, much more friendly and amicable way than that," he said.

Lessons would be learned so that similar incidents could be avoided in the future, he said.

A report released by the US defence department in July said Iraq's police force was recruiting insurgents and former criminals to its ranks.

It blamed poor vetting procedures and recommended that the quality of records at Iraq's interior ministry be checked.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/4266304.stm

Published: 2005/09/20 22:43:53 GMT

© BBC MMV