Reply #55: British soldier quits army, accuses US troops of illegal tactics in Iraq

[Barrett808]

LONDON (AFP) - An elite British soldier reveals that he quit the army after refusing to fight in Iraq anymore on moral grounds because of the "illegal" tactics used by US troops on the ground.

Ben Griffin, a member of the Special Air Service (SAS) described in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph the experiences that led him to end his impressive army career after just three months in Baghdad.

The 28-year-old, who was discharged last June, is believed to be the first SAS soldier to refuse to go into combat and to quit the army on moral grounds.

"I saw a lot of things in Baghdad that were illegal or just wrong," Griffin told the weekly newspaper in his first interview since leaving the SAS.

"I knew, so others must have known, that this was not the way to conduct operations if you wanted to win the hearts and minds of the local population.

"And if you can't win the hearts and minds of the people, you can't win the war."

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060312/wl_mideast_afp/britainusiraqmilitaryunrest