Violence in Iraq will get even worse, says Blair

[floda]

Violence in Iraq will get even worse, says Blair
By Melissa Kite in Washington and Alex Thomson in Basra
(Filed: 18/04/2004)


Tony Blair will tell MPs tomorrow that Britain should be prepared for worse violence in Iraq in the coming weeks.

The Prime Minister believes that British and American troops must brace themselves for "acts of desperation" by anti-Coalition rebels as the June 30 deadline for the handover of sovereignty in Iraq draws closer, senior advisers to Mr Blair said yesterday.


Brig Nick Carter says Coalition is in Basra only as long as local Shia leader accepts their presence
The warnings came as the commander of British troops in southern Iraq, Brig Nick Carter, admitted that he would be powerless to prevent the overthrow of Coalition forces if the Shia majority in Basra rose up in rebellion. Brig Carter, of the 20 Armoured Brigade, who has been in Iraq for four months, said British forces would stay in Basra with the consent of local Shia leaders, or not at all.

Last month, 14 British soldiers were injured in Basra, at least three seriously, when they came under attack from demonstrators armed with petrol bombs, rocks and a grenade.

"A crowd of 150,000 people at the gates of this barracks would be the end of this, as far as I'm concerned," Brig Carter said. "There would be absolutely nothing I could do about that."

Senior military officials fear that insurgents may be planning a "spectacular" as they mount last-ditch efforts to disrupt the US-led timetable of restoring sovereignty to Iraq. Fighting in the Sunni-dominated city of Fallujah, west of Baghdad, where an estimated 1,000 Iraqis died in clashes last week between American soldiers and mujahideen rebels, is causing particular concern.

British officers in Basra are also worried about the stand-off at the twin holy cities of Najaf and Kufa, where the fiery Islamic cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr, has taken refuge from 2,500 American troops determined either to capture or kill him. "If the Americans go into Najaf, there will be 300 Fallujahs," said one officer.

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/04/18/wirq18.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/04/18/ixportaltop.html

[0007]

1. Acts of desperation?

Sounds like Tony & junior are suffering from an expected dire consequence.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. The blood is on Bush and Blair's hands.

[Mari333]

3. Fuck him! Send his sorry ass over there on the front line

he can replace my kid, that fucking POS

[sushi]

6. Yes, they are good

at sending other people's children to war, aren't they. I hope your son will be home safely very soon. I'm trying to imagine how you must be feeling.

[sushi]

4. I'm tired of hearing

the coalition troops will "stay the course," "until the job is done."
What job is that? Iraq becomes a democracy? The kind of democracy that can elect a west-hating Shiite ayatollah as head of state, if that's what they want? Or does it have to be a "democracy?" The kind that forces a puppet like Karzai on the Iraqis? A head of state who needs foreign bodyguards to protect him against his own people?

I'm very disappointed that the British are staying. Can't wait for Tony Blair to be kicked out.

[reprobate]

13. Let a dozon or so Brits be killed and blair won't have a choice.

He hangs by his fingernails to power now. If there was a "spectacular" as Brigadier Carter forcasts, Blair will have to pull out of iraq no matter what his pledge to "Captain Courageous" Bush. His people will demand it.

[PfcHammer]

5. their logic is so twisted. they see matters

deteriorating and insist on continuing
to do what doesn't work.
"the worser things get..."

[hadrons]

7. their logic does make sense ....

more attacks = more success, so as the "coalition" is more successfull there be more attacks

make sense :eyes:

[lebkuchen]

8. That SOB

Chimpy's "Stasi nanny" had the temerity this week to preach to the world on "terrorists" v. "the civilized."

Blair's high-life VISA has just expired.

[Barrett808]

9. They can't really believe that the rebels will give up when new puppets

are installed. To the contrary, the insurgency will redouble its efforts. This must simply be the next layer of spin, to forestall the realization of imminent, ignominious defeat.

[Earth_First]

10. British forces would stay in Basra with the consent of local Shia leaders,

...or not at all.

Interesting...

[SOS]

11. Interesting line -

""A crowd of 150,000 people at the gates of this barracks would be the end of this, as far as I'm concerned," Brig Carter said. "There would be absolutely nothing I could do about that." "

If the US attacks Najaf this week, Brig Carter will face exactly that.
Sistani said that Najaf is a "red line" which cannot be crossed.
But it is very possible the US will do it. Maybe this week.....

"If the Americans go into Najaf, there will be 300 Fallujahs," said one officer.

[cliss]

12. Then why did you

think it was important to march into Iraq, you stupid fucking ass.