I know they stop by Iran for tea.
Posted on 08/15/2008 8:57:02 AM PDT by thinkingIsPresuppositional
Troubling revelation: Did our British allies sit on their hands in Iraq?
Scandal over Britain's military echoes critique of murdered journalist Steven Vincent
By David Paulin
Three years ago this month, American freelance journalist Steven Vincent was kidnapped and murdered in Basra, Iraq, a port city then under British military control. His murder occurred as Britain's military – as Vincent had earlier reported -- was turning a blind eye to the rise of menacing Shiite religious groups, including those of bellicose rebel cleric Moktada al-Sadr.
Now, three years later, the ineptitude of British forces in Basra has boiled over into a full-fledged scandal in Britain, as today's Wall Street Journal notes in an editorial, "Basra and the Brits.” The scandal concerns the failure of British military forces to lift a finger to help Iraq's Army prevail in a pivotal battle earlier this year. Explains the WSJ:
...(W)hen the Iraqi military ran into trouble at the start of their operation this year, the 4,100 Brits remained in their garrison at the airport outside the city. The Iraqis had to call in the Americans from the north for air cover and other support to help defeat radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army...
(Excerpt) Read more at modernconservative.com ...
I hope this is not true. Of course I read BBC reports that the Britains had to save the Americans from their ineptitude. Whatever.
Everybody who knows how things have really been in Basra knows this was the (unwritten) arrangement from the start of the occupation.
The “softly, softly” Brits refused to get involved from day one and were content to let the religious thugs and gangsters have the run of the place on the implicit promise that they would not be shot at.
The only revelation here is that, towards the end, there actually WAS a written “non-agression pact”.
The Iraqis are pleased to see the back of them. I personally believe that the Brits and quite a few other of our “allies” in Iraq and Afghanistan should be invited to go home.
An ally who refuses to fight is worse than useless.
I have read similar things over the past year - Iranians have pretty much infiltrated southern Iraq - Iranian money used there for everyday commerce - Brit soldiers look the other way because only American soldiers believe there are causes worth dying for any more. There may be some individual exceptions, but overall, let’s face it, the Brits/EU see themselves as “peacekeepers” not warriors. America has no true allies that we can count on (except maybe Australia, but that can blow with the wind). Will we bail these countries out the next time the wolf is at the gate (i.e., Russia)???
Our son’s unit was paired with a Brit unit in small outposts West of Baghdad (Triangle of Death, al-Anbar Province). Both units were combat units, he said they were stand-up soldiers, didn’t hesitate to pull their share of the load. Generous to a fault as they don’t get very shiny pay but they got together often and had cookouts. US soldiers (in this case) dumped a lot of stuff on them, whether foodstuffs or personal hygiene items that folks from the US sends our soldiers. I think it comes down to individual units and their leadership.
The Brits chastised us on our efforts. They said that their experience with Ireland made them experts on terrorism. So much for BS. They let the Sadr group and Iran run Basra.
I know they stop by Iran for tea.
LLS
...why is it only considered bad when it happens to journalists?
Point taken - we’ll see what happens — Putin’s on the move.
“There are around 900 Polish troops in the war-torn country, with most in the Qadisiya capital of Diwaniya, some in Baghdad and others in the southern city of Kut.
Twenty-two soldiers from Poland have lost their lives during the nearly five year war in Iraq.”
"Did our British allies sit on their hands in Iraq?"Yes.
There are around 4,000 (down from an operational high of 46,000) UK troops in Iraq. Based at Basra Airport, they conduct border patrols and assist in training the Iraqi Army. Special Forces units (SAS) operate throughout the country.
176 British personnel have lost their lives in Operation Telic.
The two blokes on the far right of the pic, not smiling, not waving, are Royal Marines. Different calibre.
...An ally who refuses to fight is worse than useless...
Hey, if you did a tiny bit of research, you will know we fought hard, and lost much. We bought time. We did our jobs with the bare minimum (and sometimes not even that). I will conceed on the ‘softly softly’ point.
Just look through some of the articles from the Times, Sky News, even the BBC, of how hard we fought. Look at the video’s on a certain U TUBE that we can all see. You don’t have to invite us to go home in Iraq, we are already planning to do so. IA can handle its own, and we will leave a few hundred trainers in country. Not to mention the SAS. No permanent bases, as the Iraqi’s wanted.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article4534985.ece
As for Afghanistan. well, we have fought harder than any coalition nation there, and I mean no disrespect to our superb allies who have worked with us in that country (US, Danes, Czechs, Estonians, Dutch, Canadians etc). Would you like us to go home Helmand too? Hey, its cheaper for us. If you boys want to do all the lifting then go for it. But I don’t think your military can carry all that weight by itself. Why am I reading that US forces pulled out of a district in central afghanistan this week after sustained attacks from Taliban/insurgents? Why are you running away?
GOD bless the Poles and all others that stand up for Liberty. Have a great weekend FRiend!
LLS
British allies? But, there is no Britain anymore. They disappeared quite a few years ago. It has become Britainistan.
The British Army (and Navy and Air Force) habitually fight with skill and courage — but only when they are permitted to do so. The shameful situation in Basra flowed from political decisions made at the PM and Cabinet level to avoid casualties above all due to public opinion being against the Iraq War. Consequently, the British Army in Basra was prevented from functioning as an effective military force.
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