Serving British soldier exposes horror of war in 'crazy' Basra

[babylonsister]

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/article2489444.ece

Serving British soldier exposes horror of war in 'crazy' Basra


Friday, April 27, 2007

By Terri Judd

A British soldier has broken ranks within days of returning from Iraq to speak publicly of the horror of his tour of duty there, painting a picture of troops under siege, "sitting ducks" to an increasingly sophisticated insurgency.

"Basra is lost, they are in control now. It's a full-scale riot and the Government are just trying to save face," said Private Paul Barton.

The 27-year-old, who returned from his second tour of Iraq this week along with other members of 1st Battalion, the Staffordshire Regiment, insisted that he remains loyal to the Army despite such public dissent. He said he had already volunteered to go to Afghanistan later this year.

But, he said, he felt strongly that somebody had to speak out: "I want people to see it as it is; not the sugar-coated version."

His public protest is a sign of the groundswell of anger among the troops, and predictions that more will come forward to break the traditional covenant of silent service. Just last month, Pte Steve Baldwin, 22, a soldier in the same regiment, spoke to The Independent about the way he had been "pushed aside" since being injured by a roadside bomb which killed three others during the Staffords' first tour of Iraq in 2005.

And on Monday, Cpl Richard Bradley also chose to air his views on television: "Blokes are dying for no cause at all and blokes are getting injured for no cause at all."

more...

[Dudley_DUright]

1. Heck of a job

Bushie. :mad:

[acmavm]

2. You're letting Poodle off the hook here. These guys are Brits. We can't

sent them to a war zone. But Poodle can, and did.

[Dudley_DUright]

3. Poodle is just following in his master's footsteps

[acmavm]

4. Whatever.