British gen. defends decisions in Basra battle

[unhappycamper]

British gen. defends decisions in Basra battle
By Meera Selva - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jan 7, 2010 12:40:20 EST

LONDON — A senior British army commander said Thursday his troops were unwilling to help the Iraqi army in air strikes against militias in the city of Basra because they feared killing civilians.

The Iraqi army launched a major assault in Basra in March 2008 and complained bitterly at the time about Britain’s lack of support.

Britain said in the past that it held back to ensure that the operation was seen as Iraqi-led. But Lt. Gen. Barney White-Spunner — commander of coalition forces in southeast Iraq from February to August 2008 — told an inquiry probing Britain’s role in the war that the military’s rules of engagement stopped its troops from agreeing to Iraq’s early plans for an air attack.

“We were asked at times in those very chaotic early days to do some things by the Iraqis which, if we had agreed to, I would be sitting in front of a very different tribunal now,” he said.

He added: “We were invited to drop aerial ordnance on areas which we considered not to have been thoroughly enough vetted, and which could have caused considerable civilian casualties.”


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/01/ap_britain_basra_airstrikes_010710/