"One of the dead men, Paul Lowe, was 19. His grief-stricken brother, Craig, was quick to make a political point, telling reporters Paul didn't like U.S. President George W. Bush.
"He thought he was an arsehole for starting a war over nothing, trying to get money and oil," he told reporters."
Blair faces fallout from Iraq soldier deaths
Fri 5 November, 2004 14:06
By Madeline Chambers
LONDON (Reuters) - The deaths of three British soldiers in Iraq intensifies the controversy over the decision by Tony Blair's government to send British troops to a more dangerous area and experts say worse is sure to come.
They expect more attacks on UK forces when the United States launches its long-awaited offensive on the rebel town of Falluja.
In just their second day of full deployment, a suicide car bomber killed the three Black Watch regiment troops on Thursday, bringing Britain's death toll in Iraq to 73. It was the first time UK troops have been killed by a suicide bomber.
"This is: 'Welcome to the Sunni triangle' -- it is what happens," said Tim Ripley, of Lancaster University's centre of defence and international security studies.
"But it will take on a new dynamic when the U.S. goes into Falluja," he added.
Blair, already hurt by a public backlash over the Iraq war, agreed last month to send about 850 troops to high-risk areas near Baghdad.
The move, attacked by critics for exposing troops to danger levels they have not been used to in the southern Basra region, freed up U.S. forces for the Falluja offensive.
Scottish Nationalist Party leader Alex Salmond said public grief over the deaths would soon turn to anger.
"The Black Watch has been sent in to do an impossible job -- that is 800 Scottish soldiers replacing 4,000 American marines."
One of the dead men, Paul Lowe, was 19. His grief-stricken brother, Craig, was quick to make a political point, telling reporters Paul didn't like U.S. President George W. Bush.
"He thought he was an arsehole for starting a war over nothing, trying to get money and oil," he told reporters.
WORSE TO COME
continued....................
reuters.co.uk |
