Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Banner Left
Banner Right

British troops in Iraq defended

British troops in Iraq defended

LONDON – Britain’s Defence Secretary John Reid mounted a robust defence of the country’s troops serving in Iraq yesterday following the release of video footage apparently showing some beating unarmed civilians.

Critics should be “very slow to condemn” British armed forces because they faced a situation that was “far more difficult than at any time in history because we face an enemy that is completely unconstrained”, he said. “The international terrorist is not constrained by legality, by morality, by any convention, Geneva or otherwise, yet our troops are increasingly constrained not just by international law and convention, the standards we want to keep, but by media scrutiny, by video phone, by mobile phone, by satellite dishes,” he told BBC television.Reid said increased scrutiny was “not necessarily a bad thing” but stressed that terrorists were prepared to use a variety of methods to “undermine the morale and the will of democracies” to fight to defend their freedoms.”The terrorist, who would never allow any freedom on television, will use our television to show hostages being demeaned, being degraded and in some cases being executed,” he added.”Why? Because they use our freedom as the tool to terrorise our people…We ought to be very slow to condemn our troops fighting in those circumstances and I think the public agree with that.”The defence secretary, who is due to give a keynote speech in London Monday calling for greater understanding of the realities of modern combat, again condemned the images, which were shot after riots in southern Iraq in 2003.But he insisted they needed to be viewed in the context that between 80 000 and 100 000 British troops had served in Iraq since the start of the US-led military action to oust former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.During that time, there had been only five “sustainable allegations” of mistreatment against 20 to 30 Iraq civilians, he added.Britain currently has about 8 000 troops stationed in Iraq’s four southern provinces.- Nampa-AFP”The international terrorist is not constrained by legality, by morality, by any convention, Geneva or otherwise, yet our troops are increasingly constrained not just by international law and convention, the standards we want to keep, but by media scrutiny, by video phone, by mobile phone, by satellite dishes,” he told BBC television.Reid said increased scrutiny was “not necessarily a bad thing” but stressed that terrorists were prepared to use a variety of methods to “undermine the morale and the will of democracies” to fight to defend their freedoms.”The terrorist, who would never allow any freedom on television, will use our television to show hostages being demeaned, being degraded and in some cases being executed,” he added.”Why? Because they use our freedom as the tool to terrorise our people…We ought to be very slow to condemn our troops fighting in those circumstances and I think the public agree with that.”The defence secretary, who is due to give a keynote speech in London Monday calling for greater understanding of the realities of modern combat, again condemned the images, which were shot after riots in southern Iraq in 2003.But he insisted they needed to be viewed in the context that between 80 000 and 100 000 British troops had served in Iraq since the start of the US-led military action to oust former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.During that time, there had been only five “sustainable allegations” of mistreatment against 20 to 30 Iraq civilians, he added.Britain currently has about 8 000 troops stationed in Iraq’s four southern provinces.- Nampa-AFP

Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!

Latest News