Free Republic

There are undoubtedly weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and it is an absolute certainty that they will be found. That, at least, was the verdict delivered by Brian Burridge, the commander of Britain's forces in the Gulf, following his return home yesterday. "Rightly, the British public want to see the evidence, and they will," announced the air marshal. He claimed a lot of information already gathered pointed to the existence of such weapons and said he was certain they would be found sooner or later. Mr Burridge made that forecast as he arrived at an RAF base in London...

The US and British commanders in the Gulf warned yesterday that the Allies might attack Iraqi mosques, hospitals and schools if Saddam Hussein used them to conceal tanks or troops. Gen Tommy Franks, the US commander, refused in an interview with the ABC news network to say that such buildings would be off-limits. Air Marshal Brian Burridge, the British commander, appeared to go further. Speaking after three hours spent fine-tuning the invasion plans with Gen Franks, he promised that the "avoidance of unnecessary loss of life was a priority". But he added: "We never want to give Saddam the impression...

BRITAIN’S top commander in the Gulf warned Saddam Hussein last night: Be afraid — be very afraid. Air Marshal Brian Burridge said Iraqi troops will face hand- to-hand combat with Royal Marine Commandos — the world’s most terrifying fighting force. He added: “They scare the sh*t out of me. Heaven knows what they’ll do to the enemy.” His words echo the remarks of the legendary Duke of Wellington who said of British troops fighting Napoleon in 1810: “I don’t know what effect these men will have on the enemy but, by God, they frighten me.” Burridge told how 5,000 Green...