Blair praises Black Watch, but deaths provoke fury

Times Online ^ | November 05, 2004 | Philippe Naughton

[Ginifer]

Tony Blair today praised the "extraordinary and heroic job" being done by the Black Watch in Iraq after the death of three Scottish soldiers in a suicide bomb attack south of Baghdad.

But the depth of feeling in Scotland itself over the redeployment of a Black Watch battle group was shown by comments from one of the dead soldier's brothers - himself a Black Watch private - who called President Bush "an a***hole" for starting a "war over nothing".

The three dead men were named this morning as Sergeant Stuart Gray, 31, Private Paul Lowe, 19, and Private Scott McArdle, 22. All three men were from Fife.

Private Lowe's 18-year-old brother, Craig, who returned from Basra last month, paid tribute to his "brilliant brother, comrade and friend" and said he had always loved his job.

But he told the Scottish Press Association: "He thought they shouldn't be there, they should all just be back here because it's a war which nobody knows why it was started or what it was done for."

Private Lowe said that his brother had thought little of Mr Bush and his reasons for going to war. He said "He just thought he was an a***hole for starting a war over nothing, trying to get money and oil.

"That’s what we thought ourselves, that’s what Paul thought as well, we all thought that. I think they should just get them all out of there now because if not we are going to lose a lot more than this."

Mary Gray, the mother of Sergeant Stuart Gray said of her son: “He was an experienced and professional soldier, a loving husband, father, son and brother, and a proud member of the Black Watch.”

[MplsSteve]

Does this guy understand what terrorism is all about?

What the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotland a bunch of "nothing"?

[Old Sarge]

There's one in every clan...

[Max Combined]

The Brits are not going to be able to hang in Sunni land. They will slink back south with their tails between their legs. It was a bad idea to ever have them move into a dangerous area. The soldiers are influenced by the anti-Americanism of the rest of the country.

Still, I am thankful that they came and helped us when we needed them most, but they were never anything more than a fig leaf. Now that the election is over, we don't need the fig leaf and they will be leaving soon.

[Max Combined]

"There's one in every clan..."

I wish it were only one, but I think the fellow expresses the attitude of the British Army in Iraq, soldiers as well as officers.

The Black Watch is a great outfit, but everyone is at least partially a product of his or her environment, and these folks have been raised in an anti-American sewer. Too bad.

[JudgemAll]

So I take it they'd rather have Bin Laden or Saddam as LE employers via the UN???????????

Our corruption is unending and unearthed by 911.... at least that's a start.

[Tallguy]

Does this guy understand what terrorism is all about?

Obviously not. But if he continues to embarass the Blair government and the British Army, he's going to learn what military justice is all about.

[everydayislikesunday]

They are just angry as you'd expect them to be when a brother/son is killed.

Maybe if they were allowed to take these scumbags out and not have their hands tied behind their backs (waiting to die), it'd be sorted out sooner. No more Mr Nice Guy - it's time to show these devils who the hell they are messing with.

I really hope the US assaults in Falluja or wherever else are swift, massive and devastating. It's time we DID get all our troops home, the best way being to sweep away the scum that are killing them.

I'm angry today too - but only at the one's who are killing our brave soldiers.

[massgopguy]

I wonder if he knows that there is a movement by Muslims in Great Britain to strike the Union Jack and replace it with a more PC flag?

[AngloSaxon]

The recoats are coming! The recoats are coming!

[CaptainAwesome2]

How much longer are we going to need to assign this war the silly title "The War on Terror"? I know its more politically correct than what it actually is but id like to see the problem recognized and confronted head on. This is the war on islam and that is going to have to be recognized before it ends.

[Killing Time]

Per capita the death rate is almost identical.

Oh, and head to any military town here and use words like "slink" and "fig leaf" and see what it gets you.

[AngloSaxon]

LOL! Make that REDCOATS!!!

Tired! :)

[tonycavanagh]

re : we don't need the fig leaf and they will be leaving soon.

And you will be going out there when ?.

Tony part of the fig leave earlier this year

[tonycavanagh]

re : I wonder if he knows that there is a movement by Muslims in Great Britain to strike the Union Jack and replace it with a more PC flag?.

Link please or is this just another throwaway remark that if repeated enough times becomes know as the truth.

[tonycavanagh]

Please come to Britain come to London and use the words slink and fig leave to my face please do come

[pau1f0rd]

I wonder if he knows that there is a movement by Muslims in Great Britain to strike the Union Jack and replace it with a more PC flag

No, he probably knows that that was a Guardian joke that the UK Nazis seized on and tried to pretend was actually happening. Anyway, it's the Union Flag, not the Union Jack. p-)

[tonycavanagh]

some long haired gimp Max Combined is having a go and I mean having a go at our Army.

[tonycavanagh]

What do you think of post 4 this is the kind of cr*p that really pi**es me off.

And its an insult to America as well that the Americans need us as a fig leave.

[tonycavanagh]

What do you think of post 4 this is the kind of cr*p that really pi**es me off.

And its an insult to America as well that the Americans need us as a fig leave.