Ex-UK commander says troops in Iraq being picked off one by one

[Barrett808]

Source: ANI

London: A former commanding officer in Northern Ireland has warned that British troops in Iraq are being "picked off one by one."

Patrick Mercer MP was quoted by the Daily Express as saying that troops' lives were being put at risk because of a lack of trained infantrymen and equipment, and warned that the situation could get a great deal worse.

Mercer, a former lieutenant-colonel of the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment, and until recently Tory Homeland Security spokesman,said that cutting troop levels in Basra would lead to more casualties in what he called a "vicious circle".

Mercer said that the Ministry of Defence's decision to axe six infantry battalions last year meant the Army was facing severe strain fighting in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

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"For God's sake, we need to arrest the process of winding down our Army. It's very worrying that the enemy is managing to pick our troops off one by one," Mercer said.

Read more: http://www.dailyindia.com/show/164655.php/Ex-UK-commander-says-troops-in-Iraq-being-picked-off-one-by-one