Posted on 05/22/2003 2:23:22 PM PDT by hotpotato
Colonel Tim Collins is confident of being cleared by an investigation into his conduct during the war in Iraq.
The soldier, who was a Lieutenant Colonel with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment and has since been promoted, told the Daily Mirror: "I'm astonished. I am confident my good name will be restored."
Speaking from his home in Canterbury, Kent, Col Collins said he had "no idea how they [the allegations] came about".
Col Collins, 43, is accused of breaching the Geneva Convention in his treatment of PoWs and an Iraqi civic leader.
Ministry of Defence sources yesterday confirmed the complaint was made by an American officer.
Col Collins delivered a rousing address to his men hours before they went into battle against Saddam Hussein's forces, a speech which earned him lavish praise from the Prince of Wales and was admired by US president George Bush.
Now the Northern Ireland-born officer is being investigated by the Army's Special Investigations Branch and it is understood the investigation is at an advanced stage.
Friends and colleagues said they were shocked at the complaints but vowed to stand by the officer.
One said: "American soldiers complaining about minor indiscretions demonstrates complete impropriety by the US authorities.
"These people would not have come out if he hadn't made that speech."
The father of five, who was often seen with a cigar clenched between his teeth and wearing designer sunglasses during the conflict, has now left the regiment for a new posting.
If found guilty of the allegations he could face tough disciplinary action or even expulsion from the Army.
The principal allegations are that he assaulted Iraqi soldiers in an effort to extract information from them, pistol-whipped a civilian, intimidated other civilians by shooting into the ground close to their feet, shot out the tyres of an unarmed civilian vehicle, coerced civilians into obeying him, and let Iraqi conscripts go hungry while he took tea with their officers. All sufficiently serious for the Sun to blast "Col Tim probed on war crimes" across its front page.
We also have to remember that the average Iraqi most likely cannot tell the difference between a UK and a US soldier. They only know to report that "UK and US soldiers tortured Iraqis." An investigation has been underway since the accusations from Iraqis started coming in so it could be simply the American officer was reporting what he saw during an investigation about an incident that could not be swept under the rug. I'm just not sure what's taking place. But I find it hard to believe an American officer would lightly "turn on" a fellow soldier be he an American or coalition.
The allegations are reported to have been made by an unnamed American officer, who complained to his own commander, who then informed the British authorities. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that an investigation was being conducted into accusations "surrounding a British officer who served in Iraq''.... Described as a "colourful'' figure by his friends, Col. Collins has been in the news before for the alleged "bullying'' culture of his regiment.
The allegations against the Royal Irish Regiment Officer are now being looked into by the Army's Special Investigations Branch (SIB). Lt-Col Collins - who made a rousing speech to troops on the eve of the war which was praised by Prince Charles and George Bush - is also accused of:
# Pistol-whipping an Iraqi civic leader, gashing his head.
# Shooting the tyres of vehicles when there was no threat to British or American life and there were no weapons visible, in contravention of the Army's rules of engagement.
# Firing at the ground near the feet of Iraqi civilians to intimidate them.
# Threatening local townspeople to force them to obey his demands.
If proven, the allegations would be in breach of the convention, which gives captured enemy soldiers and civilians protection during armed conflict. A friend of Lt-Col Collins said: "It was a war. Tim acted robustly, but he is insistent he did everything by the rule book."
also in the article....
However, a team from the SIB has now flown to Iraq to take detailed statements from Lt-Col Collins's alleged victims. It has also visited the Royal Irish Regiment's base to ask officers, NCOs and privates to give statements about his behaviour following the taking of Um Qasr and Basra in the south of the country.
The investigation threatens to tarnish the war record of British troops, widely praised for their calm efficiency in contrast to the more gung-ho behaviour of the Americans, especially in dealing with Iraqi civilians.
The SIB's commanding officer Lt-Col Stuart Green will hand his report to the Army's senior commanders and military prosecutors. They will decide if any further action is necessary.
Gimme an effing break! These are not war crimes.
# Pistol-whipping an Iraqi civic leader, gashing his head.
Depends on the situation.
# Threatening local townspeople to force them to obey his demands.
When I worked on an assembly line, my boss used to do that too. I shouldv'e just thrown the Geneva Conventions at his a$$.
So9
Ah, the plot thickens.
Where did you read that this happened?
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