Posted on 05/22/2004 10:21:57 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
LONDON (AP) -
A newspaper on Saturday published what it claimed were excerpts from a leaked government memo in which British officials expressed disquiet about U.S. tactics in Iraq.
The Sunday Times said the Foreign Office document described some American military tactics as "heavy-handed" and claimed that the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal had dented the coalition's moral authority.
Prime Minister Tony Blair's office couldn't immediately comment on the report. No one was available for comment at the Foreign Office late Saturday.
Blair has resisted calls from some in his Labour Party to distance himself from President Bush, following the images of Iraqi detainees being humiliated and mistreated by American soldiers at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison.
In a newspaper interview earlier this month, Blair dismissed "this idea that at the time of maximum difficulty you start messing around your main ally."
The Sunday Times quoted the leaked memo as indicating "the need to redouble our efforts to ensure a sensible and sensitive U.S. approach to military operations. The message seems to be accepted at the highest levels but not always implemented lower down the command chain."
The newspaper said the memo was dated May 19 and circulated to senior ministers and officials last week.
"Heavy-handed U.S. military tactics in Fallujah and Najaf some weeks ago have fueled both Sunni and Shiite opposition to the coalition, and lost us much public support inside Iraq," The Sunday Times quoted the memo as saying.
"The scandal of the treatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib has sapped the moral authority of the coalition, inside Iraq and internationally," the document also reportedly said.
Earlier Saturday, hundreds of anti-war protesters marched through London, calling for coalition troops to be withdrawn from Iraq and an end to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.
The march was headed by a number of demonstrators dressed as coalition soldiers who pretended to torture other protesters wearing black hoods, in scenes reminiscent of photographs of the alleged torture of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers.
If so, that would be a government sactioned leak folks.
ROTFLMCO! Leaked memo (from who, Robin Cook?) LOL, hundreds of protestors! There used to be tens of thousands and they only managed to scrape up hundreds?
Well if they hear about the 20 tanks in Karbala, I am sure that more will show up!
LOL!
I'm not gonna get all bent out of shape about this one. This same kind of thing happened in WWII when the British General Staff thought that American troops were sub-par.
Anyhow, the simple response is this:
British troops are magnificent. Why don't we swap places. US troops will take charge of the Basra region and British troops will take charge of the Sunni Triangle and Baghdad.
"A newspaper on Saturday published what it claimed were excerpts from a leaked government memo in which British officials expressed disquiet about U.S. tactics in Iraq."
If the Times did print this, they must have hired some flacks from the Mirror and Guardian or Reuters.
No kidding.
We are allowed to defend ourselves under two conditions: 1) when someone demonstrates "hostile intent," and 2) when someone commits a "hostile act."
The Brits, however, are hamstrung and only allowed to act under condition 2.
Condition 1 is what they are "concerned" about. The average Brit warrior is with the US on this one, but the careerist/politico's are not.
No big deal.
Thanks for your input.
No wonder the Scots fixed bayonets and charged after being shot at last week.
(( Anyhow, the simple response is this:
British troops are magnificent. Why don't we swap places. US troops will take charge of the Basra region and British troops will take charge of the Sunni Triangle and Baghdad. ))
umm..., sarcasm... i take it; :D
(You know not that you speak the truth) hehe, sry i just couldn't resist. ;)
And my responce would be, "BRING IT ON!!!"
And besides, Iraq use to be in British hands anyway,... :P
i supose you take the position that; "HE WHO FIRES 'FIRST', FIRES LAST,..."
Hasn't 7 seasons of Star-Trek TNG, taught you 'KNOTHING'? J/K
Anyhow I thought US forces in Iraq 'DID' follow a Heart's and Minds policy?...
"Aim for the HEAD as well as the CHEST"...(that is) ;P..
No, sry, I don't actualy really mean what I just said..
Gotcha.
Any chance you know Andy Lister, Commander, Royal Navy, retired?
And, by the way, as I always said when I was on my lecture tour of UK military schools and university, the best thing you Brits did was take over the world. . .the worst thing you did was give it up (my country excluded, of course).
;-)
Cheers
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