| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq-Jordan |
| Extra UK troops ’to Iraq in June’ |
| 2004-05-06 |
| Contingency planning for sending more British troops to Iraq is at an advanced stage, the BBC has learned. An estimated extra 800 members of 40 Commando could be deployed in June or July with an official announcement next week, defence sources say. Top brass from the UK military were in Iraq last week and it is understood they were examining Britain’s options. These could include expanding the UK presence in the Iraqi provinces of Najaf and Qadifiyah. Commenting on the move, Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Sir Menzies Campbell said the extra troops might find themselves serving alongside US forces whom he said had a "different culture" to their British counterparts. "My anxiety would be that if British forces were sent to Baghdad and were under the direct operational command of an American commander, then they might find themselves in the position of having to decide whether or not to accept an order or whether to rely on their own instincts and training," he said. Mmmmmm... what do our American cousins make of Menzies Campbell’s opinions? |
| Posted by:Howard UK |
| #6 Anonymous4750: I think he's talking about prisoner abuse. If a Brit was ordered to do something to a prisoner that the British would never do, should he obey the American or not? Actually, Brits have been known to get pretty physical with IRA detainees, and I'm not talking about ordering them to do pushups. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2004-05-06 8:55:20 PM |
| #5 Actually I'm figuring the Brit going to be in a quandry because of the poor methods used. :> |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-05-06 7:18:49 PM |
| #4 I think he's talking about prisoner abuse. If a Brit was ordered to do something to a prisoner that the British would never do, should he obey the American or not? Jerk. As though all American units routinely order their men to abuse prisoners. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4750 2004-05-06 4:26:53 PM |
| #3 I wonder if "Sir" Menses Campbell has any friggin' idea of how the modern Brit and US militaries operate. .com, how's the Googling going ? |
| Posted by: Carl in N.H 2004-05-06 12:05:03 PM |
| #2 The British have had interoprability with US forces as a major operational objective for a long time. Lots of joint training and exercises. The Liberal Democrats are the most Eurocentric party in the UK and consequently tend most towards anti-Americanism. |
| Posted by: Phil B 2004-05-06 9:44:39 AM |
| #1 I don't share such "anxieties" with Sir Menzies (BTW, whence comes his Knighthood? I'll have to google that...), all troops in Western militaries have similar training that dictates, to some degree, that they should not follow orders contrary to the Geneva Conventions. I'm sure someone will expound on that, but I wager that is sufficient to mollify most differences. I don't recall any serious problems in this area with non-American forces in Viet Nam, with the exception of some South VN troops who were loathe to leave reinforced positions. Patrol Flu was occasionally a problem with them. Others, such as Ozzies and Koreans would just put on their game face and saddle up. I'll be curious to read opinions of others - especially those whose service is current / more contemporary. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-05-06 8:20:50 AM |