Replies

And now for the rest of the story...

Collins accuser did not witness Iraq incidents
From Tim Reid in Washington

Excerpt

...Major Re Biastre, 37, a reservist and part of the US Army’s 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion, provoked the ire of Colonel Collins, the commander of the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment, as he handed out lollipops to Iraqi children. The allegations were made after being publicly reprimanded and arrested by Colonel Collins for handing out sweets to Iraqi children in defiance of the British officer’s orders.

....Major Stan Coerr, a US Marine reservist, said: “Major Biastre is the sole reason this is happening. It is his spite for Colonel Collins that started this whole thing. I loved Colonel Collins and would serve with him again. This whole thing is a travesty.”

...According to Mrs Biastre, her husband heard allegations about Colonel Collins while he was made to wait outside his office.

....The Iraqi at the centre of the claims is Ayoub Yousif Naser, a member of the Baath party and a leading official in Rumaila, an oil village 30 miles west of Basra. Mr Naser told The Times that Colonel Collins subjected them to a mock execution, ordering his men to put him and his son against a wall and ordered a soldier to kill them. Colonel Collins denies the claims. Mr Naser conceded to The Times that he lied about possessing weapons to British forces. Locals said Mr Naser was widely feared in the area.

Army clears colonel of war crimes in Iraq Humiliated major’s claim ‘triggered by spite’

by IAN BRUCE

Excerpt

...COLONEL Tim Collins, the British officer who made world headlines with his rousing eve-of-battle speech before the invasion of Iraq, has been cleared of war crimes in a preliminary report by the army's special investigation branch.

Collins inquiry finds no evidence of war crime
By Sean O'Neill
(Filed: 26/05/2003)

Excerpt

...The Army inquiry into Col Tim Collins has found no evidence that his conduct during the war in Iraq was in breach of the Geneva Conventions.

Spite likely motive for war shame
Bruce Wilson in London
26may03

Excerpt

...OUTRAGE mounted in Britain yesterday after the chief accuser of Iraq war hero, Lieutenant-Colonel Tim Collins of the Royal Irish Regiment, was named as US army reservist Major Re Biastre.

...Major Biastre's allegations were motivated by "revenge and spite" in his accusations against Lt-Col Collins. The case is reported to be souring relations between the US and Britain –the two major anti-Saddam military allies.

So I take it the Brits are investigating this. The newspapers must have decided to turn it into an American vs. British thing because it was a slow news day.

Major Re Biastre

What kind of name is this "Re"?

Major Re Biastre

Isn't biastre French for Tard?