Blair faces troops backlash

[emad]

London Evening Standard
By Jason Beattie Political Correspondent, Evening Standard
19 October 2004

Tony Blair was struggling today to contain a growing backbench revolt over plans for British troops to relieve US forces in Iraq.

Snip:
There is pressure on Mr Blair to make a statement to set clear limits on the length of time and the number of British forces to be deployed.

The demand comes amid fears for the safety of British troops who have been earmarked for service in the "triangle of death" near Baghdad.

The region is notorious for kidnappings, beheadings and assassinations. It includes Latifiyah, where British hostage Ken Bigley is believed to have been murdered.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon paved the way for the deployment, telling MPs that Britain would have "failed in its duty as an ally" if it did not send the troops.

More:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/14130068?source=Evening%20Standard

[ugarte]

1. Friends don't let friends drive drunk

The U.K. has failed us an ally.

[Dhalgren]

2. Did Bush ask Blair to

sent those "spineless weeny" Brits to catch bullets for our brave American boys so Caligula can get elected Emperor. Proconsul Blair should know better than to hesitate - after all his "spineless" Brits are less valuable than real Americans...

[emad]

3. Triangle of Death that awaits British troops: The Times

From James Hider in Yusufiyah

BRITISH troops earmarked for service in central Iraq are heading for an area called the Triangle of Death by US forces who are struggling to impose order amid daily gunbattles with insurgents.

Yesterday the US Marines who are expected to be replaced by the Black Watch repeatedly came under heavy attack from militants. At least a dozen times, the cry of “incoming” went up as mortar rounds whizzed overhead.

The region south of Baghdad, once best known as the site of the ancient city of Babylon, is now notorious for kidnappings, assassinations and beheadings.

Security officials believe that it was in Latifiyah, one of the most feared tribal towns in this region, that Kenneth Bigley was beheaded. Two French journalists disappeared in the same area.
More:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7374-1317060,00.html

[Florida_Geek]

4. Remember the British troops do not have the

same vests and other protection US troops have. A lot will die.

[Dhalgren]

6. The Emperor has to get the "coalition" death toll up

so that it doesn't look like so many of the deaths are American. Kerry hit Caligula with this pretty hard in the debates, so the Emperor's solution? More Brits and Aussies need to die so the numbers balance better - oh, and don't forget the Poles...

[jmcgowanjm]

5. Britain redeploys 750 troops to back up Americans

as they prepare another offensive on al-Fallujah.

BTW-However, the lack of any images of US troops
triumphantly occupying ruined cities like those we saw of
Najaf belies the official spin. Even the spin was scaled back
as the "air and ground assault" was relabeled as
"Marines surround the city", which was then downgraded to
a "dynamic cordon," which in turn was "loosened" - apparently
so that hundreds of resistance fighters could enter the city
to break their Ramadan fast.-Abu Nasr

The British media on Monday reported that about 750
British troops had been redeployed to the south of Baghdad
to replace Americans preparing for an offensive on the
defiant city of al-Fallujah. The London Times reported
Monday that some 650 (900?)of the Scottish Black
Watch Brigade had been transferred from al-Basrah in the
south to serve as reserve units in the south of Baghdad
and other towns such as al-Iskandariyah, al-Latifiyah
and al-Mahmudiyah. Challenger2 tanks and their crews are to
be brought up with the British forces, making for a total redeployment of about 750 men.