Iraqis Support Attacks on British Troops
From the Sunday Telegraph, via BlairWatch.
Millions of Iraqis believe that suicide attacks against British troops are justified, a secret military poll commissioned by senior officers has revealed.
The poll, undertaken for the Ministry of Defence and seen by The Sunday Telegraph, shows that up to 65 per cent of Iraqi citizens support attacks and fewer than one per cent think Allied military involvement is helping to improve security in their country.
It demonstrates for the first time the true strength of anti-Western feeling in Iraq after more than two and a half years of bloody occupation.
The nationwide survey also suggests that the coalition has lost the battle to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people, which Tony Blair and George W Bush believed was fundamental to creating a safe and secure country.
The results come as it was disclosed yesterday that Lt Col Nick Henderson, the commanding officer of the Coldstream Guards in Basra, in charge of security for the region, has resigned from the Army. He recently voiced concerns over a lack of armoured vehicles for his men, another of whom was killed in a bomb attack in Basra last week.
The secret poll appears to contradict claims made by Gen Sir Mike Jackson, the Chief of the General Staff, who only days ago congratulated British soldiers for "supporting the Iraqi people in building a new and better Iraq".
Andrew Robathan, a former member of the SAS and the Tory shadow defence minister, said last night that the poll clearly showed a complete failure of Government policy.
He said: "This clearly states that the Government's hearts-and-minds policy has been disastrous. The coalition is now part of the problem and not the solution.
"I am not advocating a pull-out but if British soldiers are putting their lives on the line for a cause which is not supported by the Iraqi people then we have to ask the question, 'what are we doing there?' "
Bizarre how someone like Andrew Robathan can see how the coalition is part of the problem, yet doesn't advocate pulling out. Wake up, Sir...
Read the full article here.
Keywords: Iraq, Iraq war, war, insurgents, Middle East
posted by Gert @ 3:54 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
From the off, British Soldiers were totaly ill equiped. Nothing like enough body armour/jackets for majority. Early on in the proceedings in Basra, squaddies didn't even have enough rounds for their personal weapons. For quite a while some where working with just a half dozen rounds per man.
'We' tried to do it on the cheap.
Well, 'we' did save some cash - but at the cost of extra Brit lives in the end.
Also, after reading your piece on the Telegraph poll-piece -- look what read shortly afterwards.
Charming, eh?
(snip)
Shadow Home Affairs Minister Patrick Mercer drew a contrast with the alleged lack of proper protection for our troops in war zones.
"We have recently lost nine British men in Iraq to roadside bombs because their vehicles have insufficient armour," he said. "You have to question whether it's right to spend this sort of money on the protection of the Prime Minister's wife while soldiers are dying every week."
Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker demanded more transparency over why Mrs Blair was entitled to an official car.
(snip)
More @:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=366341&in_page_id=1770&in_a_source=
The price tag of one's life has always depended very strongly on who you are, that's the sad truth but thanks for pointing to that source.
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