British troops seize 12 suspects in Basra raids

[maddezmom]

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - British troops conducted raids overnight in Basra and detained a dozen people suspected of links to a spate of deadly attacks against British forces, a British military spokesman said on Friday.

Military commanders suspect that militant groups with links to Iraq's rebel Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have been aided by Shi'ite Iran in carrying out the attacks. Sources in Sadr's Basra office said most of those arrested were Sadr supporters.

The raids came hours after British Prime Minister Tony Blair said London suspected Iran and Lebanon's Hizbollah might be supplying technology and explosives to Shi'ite Muslim militant groups operating in Iraq, although he said he had no proof.

Hizbollah and Iran deny the accusations.

Military spokesman Major Steven Melbourne in Basra said: "We had an operation last night in Basra and 12 people were arrested. The investigation is ongoing and we cannot give any details about the people who were detained.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051007/wl_nm/iraq_basra_dc;_

[LynnTheDem]

1. Ok...so much for the propaganda that UK had "handed Basra over"

to the Iraqis a week ago.

[LynnTheDem]

2. Hey Tony! Yeah you, bLIAR! Iraqi govt says YOU are LYING.

Dontcha hate when yer own puppets call ya out.

[maddezmom]

3. BBC reoprting that some arrested are policeman

2 were involved with the arrests of the British intel

[leftchick]

4. Troops seize 12 in Basra raids(Iraqi Police too)

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - British troops seized 12 men, including members of the Iraqi police, during overnight raids in Basra on suspicion of involvement in deadly attacks on foreign troops, the military said on Friday.

Some of the detainees are also linked to militia groups, a British commander in the area said. Sources in rebel Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's office in the southern Iraqi city said those detained were mostly Sadr supporters.

"In the past two months, eight multi-national force soldiers and six coalition members have been killed by terrorists in Basra province," Brigadier John Lorimer said in a statement.

"This terrorism must be stopped and ... this operation was designed to do exactly that," he said.


http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2005-10-07T101556Z_01_FLE727396_RTRUKOC_0_UK-IRAQ-BASRA.xml

[leftchick]

5. sorry for the dupe mm...

I am having a hard time with DU this morning. A lot of "bugreports" coming up.

[Barrett808]

6. British troops arrest Iraq police after attacks

BASRA, Iraq (AFP) - British troops in southern Iraq have arrested 12 people, including policemen and militiamen, on terrorist charges following recent attacks on their forces, a British commander said.

"Some of the individuals we have arrested are linked to militia groups in Basra ... some of the individuals are members of the Basra police service," Brigadier John Lorimer said in a statement Friday following the Thursday evening arrests.

"Multinational forces (MNF) acted at short notice to arrest individuals involved in terrorist activities in Basra," Lorimer said, adding that in the past two months eight coalition soldiers and six others members of the multinational force had been killed in the province.

"It is very concerning to us that members of Basra police are involved in terrorism," Larimer said.

"Nobody who has been involved in murdering MNF soldiers should be allowed to hide behind their uniform," he added.

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051007/wl_mideast_afp/iraqbritain

[daleo]

7. British troops arrest Iraqi police (in Iraq)

That says it all.

[Solly Mack]

8. so does this mean the Iraqis can destroy the jail and

break the prisoners out too?

I mean, since the British did the same thing to break out the British soldiers, dressed as Iraqis, who attacked the Iraqi police...and they had IED and RPG as well

[truebrit71]

9. This is not going to end well....

..I hate to see the Tommies doing this type of stuff for Lt AWOL and his b*tch Blair... :grr:

[Solly Mack]

10. True - this won't end well a'tall

:(

[tatertop]

13. only if they have tanks and helicopter support

otherwise, no such luck

[Solly Mack]

14. Ah, freedom.democracy.sovereignty

ain't it great?!?!

[tatertop]

15. Yes, it's great in a sad, sick, tragic, making-me-ill sort of way

Otherwise I don't care for it so much.

[Solly Mack]

16. me neither

but I embrace sarcasm - it staves off the tears. :(

[Straight Shooter]

11. What say you now, bush, about the Iraqi police handling Iraq's insurgency?

This entire scenario makes me nauseous. It just gets worse and worse and worse, as we circle the terrorism drain.

[bemildred]

12. Brilliant move. This will teach them Iraqis who's the boss.

:banghead::banghead:

I notice they still seem anxious to piss al Sadr off,
and to antagonize Iran.

I read in another story that al Sadr's spokesman has
stated that the Basra militias are not under his (al
Sadr's) control.