Sep. 20, 2005 18:37

UK troops free two comrades in Basra

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON

British forces acted correctly in moving forcefully to free two comrades who had been arrested in Basra, southern Iraq, Defense Secretary John Reid said Tuesday.

The Ministry of Defense said today that when the soldiers were not released, British forces broke down a perimeter wall at the police station. Troops did not find the two men, but found evidence which led them to a house where they were held captive, the ministry said.

Reid, in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corp., said two soldiers should have been handed over to British forces after they were arrested by Iraqi police.

Brig. John Lorimer, commander of the 12th Mechanized Brigade in Basra, said in a statement that the two soldiers wound up in the custody of Iraqi militias.

"We don't actually know the details of why these people were handed over, whether it was under threats or by collusion, or whatever," Reid said. "What we do know is that under the law they should have been handed back to the British forces themselves. That is the law which enshrines our presence there."

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...=1127182727052

I have heard they were not in uniform carrying out attacks

they were SAS troops. I saw the whole thing on CTV here in Canada. They were trying to identify terrorists and prevent further attacks.

It has always been the British Army policy to get troops out among the civilian population who can speak their tongue, and know their customs. They will drift into areas were people talk like the local coffee houses and listen to what is going. This is a part of the intelligence gather duties of the SAS, yes it is a dodgy job but very important if you want to know just what the locals are up to. During the first Gulf War they were doing the same thing long before the areas came under allied control

I think it was a necessary move!

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Btw, it is Persian Gulf, my friend not the Gulf! Thanks...

Of course they said the two were carring out terrorist attacks in order to lay the blame on al Qaeda. BS.

Originally Posted by Italian Guy

Of course they said the two were carring out terrorist attacks in order to lay the blame on al Qaeda. BS.

How low can these people go? I mean MSM... They are crazy to grab a moment and bash every one they disagree with.

Originally Posted by phoenix_aim54

How low can these people go? I mean MSM... They are crazy to grab a moment and bash every one they disagree with.

I agree with you, Phoenix.

These people leave no turn unstoned. Save their very Alpha Sierra Sierras from sure death under the past regime and they still take the screw-up fork in the road of choices.

http://www.sftt.org/main.cfm?actionI...el&htmlId=3869

Have a read before you dismiss the allegations from the hip about this being a "dirty trick". Not saying I agree but it is info from a reliable troop friendly source. Personally I think the jury is still out.