Budd VC killed by friendly fire?

The Sun says it has been told by military sources that Corporal Bryan Budd, VC was "probably" killed by friendly fire.

An examination of his bullet-ridden body revealed that the ammunition used was of the calibre employed by British forces.

Pathologists who conducted a forensic examination of his wounds also concluded that they were inflicted by British bullets.

The only explanation other than friendly fire was that Taliban forces stole British weapons or bought Nato kit on the black market.

The 3 Para source added: “Although we’ve been told about the other possibilities, these seem highly unlikely. The fact the family have been told there is a possibility of a ‘blue on blue’ means that this is the conclusion to which the investigation is leading.”

The MoD have said the investigation will not affect the award.

The Daily Telegraph also picks up the story,

Nothing is yet proven either way, but it looks as though tragedy has been piled on tragedy in the confusion of battle. It does not detract from Corporal Budd's selfless actions.

Tags: Afghanistan, Corporal Bryan Budd VC.

Robert Cottage trial 2.

The trial of former BNP activist Robert Cottage on offences under the Explosives Acts has been continuing at Manchester Crown Court. Lawyers and experts have been arguing over whether Cottage had the correct ingredients to make a worthwhile bomb or if he only had sufficient household materials to scare intruders away with thunderflashes. The Lancashire Telegraph reports that Cottage's defence lawyer, Andrew Nuttall, told the court that

...key ingredients for making explosives were not found at Cottage's house, including charcoal to make gunpowder and sulphuric acid.

The solicitor said: "If someone had it in their mind to make an explosive they would order sulphuric acid - that is one of the key ones they would really go for."

Some forensic expert countered that it was possible to make weaker bombs using other acids.

Talk about counting angels on pinheads.

Tags: BNP, Robert Cottage

"Muslim Fanatic Works on Trains"

Omar Khayam, a Muslim fanatic, who demonstrated against the Danish cartoons dressed as a suicide bomber, works as an unsupervised train cleaner. According to the Sun, some train drivers are not happy about it. I suspect many passengers will be less than enthusiastic.

Tags: Omar Khayam, War on Terror.

Good News from Iraq and Afghanistan 5: Rebuilding Basra.

Continuing the occasional series of stories unlikely to be found the mainstream media.

In Iraq, the Yorkshire Regiment is in Shit Street, literally. Az Aubayr is the second largest town in Basra province and it has a sewage problem. On one particular road patrolled by the regiment, the tarmac is hidden under a layer of the brown stuff. What else would the army call it?

The regiment is in Az Aubayr, the second largest town in the province, as part of Operation Sinbad, helping the Iraqi people to rebuild society. Essentially, that means rebuilding the infrastructure through projects ranging from reconstructing the sewage and water systems to installing generators to provide hospitals with electricity. The MoD has much more on the story.

[It should never be forgotten that, at the same time as they are helping to rebuild Iraqi society, the troops are dealing with the security situation, sometimes with tragically fatal consequences. Only six days ago the Yorkshire Regiment lost Private Luke Simpson, who was killed returning from a routine patrol.]

Tags: Az Aubayr, Basra, Iraq, Operation Sinbad, Yorkshire Regiment.

That dam Taliban.

In Helmand, Afghanistan, NATO is continuing Operation Kryptonite, its attempt to clear the Taliban from around the Kajaki dam.

The New Zealand Herald, carries a Reuters, India report that the Taliban have been using children as human shields to escape NATO forces.

The Independent has an on-the-spot report on the fighting.

The Daily Telegraph publishes an account of an earlier action at Kajaki by a film maker spending a year with the Royal Marines.

Tags: Afghanistan, Helmand, Kajaki, Operation Kryptonite, Royal Marines, Taliban

July 7th Truth Campaign.

As conspiracy theories go, this is a belter.

According to the 7th July Truth Campaign, the London bombings were not a terrorist act. That theory was cooked up by the authorities to cover the truth: a rehearsal for an anti-terrorist operation went wrong and a bus was accidentally blown up, and there was deadly power surge on the underground. At least I think that is what these prize loonies are saying but I may have misunderstood since I glazed over after the first three or four pages.

The campaign wants a public inquiry. Sounds like a job for inquisitor supreme, Lord John Stevens. For under £5m he will lunch well for a year, conclude there was a series of explosions and offer to run a further inquiry into the matter.

I came across the campaign through finding Islamic Networking, thanks to lgf.

On one point they are correct. Nobody has ever been convicted of the attacks, but then we do not put corpses on trial in the UK, whether dismembered or not.

Tags: Islam, London bombings, War on Terror.

President Bush on Afghanistan.

President George Bush has been addressing the American Enterprise Institute on the Global War on Terror. Click here for the full text of his remarks. The President referred to Iraq but the bulk of his remarks concerned Afghanistan, on which he outlined a five point strategy for NATO forces. The strategy is summarised here as:

• increase the size and capabilities of the Afghan security forces;
• strengthen NATO forces in Afghanistan;
• improve provincial governance and help develop Afghanistan's rural economy;
• reverse the increase in poppy cultivation that is aiding the Taliban;
• fight corruption, especially in the judicial system.

With regard to NATO the president called on member states to provide more troops and to allow their troops to be deployed whenever and wherever, required by commanders on the ground.

For NATO to succeed, member nations must provide commanders on the ground with the troops and the equipment they need to do their jobs...

... when there is a need, when our commanders on the ground say to our respective countries, we need additional help, our NATO countries must provide it in order to be successful in this mission.

As well, allies must lift restrictions on the forces they do provide so NATO commanders have the flexibility they need to defeat the enemy wherever the enemy may make a stand. The alliance was founded on this principle: An attack on one is an attack on all. That principle holds true whether the attack is on the home soil of a NATO nation, or on allied forces deployed on a NATO mission abroad. By standing together in Afghanistan, NATO forces protect our own people, and they must have the flexibility and rules of engagement to be able to do their job.

I doubt he will meet with an enthusiastic response from our so-called allies in NATO.

Tags: Afghanistan, Iraq, NATO, War on Terror.

Mrs Thatcher

Buried away in the Daily Mail, an article that deserves a wider readership: Margaret Thatcher's Life in the Shadows, a moving account of the great lady's declining years. How we need somebody like her now.

As a bonus, here is the Margaret Thatcher Foundation website which contains her speeches and extensive documentation.

Tags: Margaret Thatcher

Coaltion security operations underway in Iraq.

The Ministry of Defence has announced that 2,000 Iraqi troops, supported by 1,200 British troops from 19 Light Brigade, have launched a major security operation in and around Basra (or Al Basrah), in south eastern Iraq. Over the next 72 hours, Operation Troy will attempt to counter criminal and militia gangs through a series of intelligence-driven operations. Basra city has been surrounded and all traffic into and out of the city will be stopped and searched at checkpoints. Royal Marine boat patrols will search traffic on the Shatt al Arab and other waterways. The nearby border with Iran has been closed. The MoD link, above, has a map showing the disposition of forces.

The BBC and has an early report.



Map from CIA World Factbook.

On a wider front, Iraq's border with Syria has also been closed as the US army clamps down on the security position in Baghdad, Reuters reports.

More from the Daily Telegraph and the Guardian.

Tags: Basra, Baghdad, Iraq, Operation Troy

Oil for Food.

The Serious Fraud Office is turning its attention to the Iraq Oil for Food scandal. The Guardian says the SFO will base its investigation into the alleged involvement of British firms on the Volcker Report, that is, the UN Oil-for-food Report. At the bottom of the page the Guardian has a link to a pdf download of the report.

According to the the Evening Standard, Scotland Yard has George Galloway in its sights, even though the SFO has dropped that aspect of its oil for food inquiry.

Tags: George Galloway, Iraq, Oil for food.

Dam Taliban strike back.

The Taliban have struck back at the Kajaki Dam project, in Helmand, Afghanistan. The Royal marines had retaken and secured the area around the dam, so that the contractors could resume work. However, work on the project has now been halted, again. The terrorists fired 14 "cheap rockets" in the general direction of the dam; consequently, the US contractors were pulled out by their company, USAid, leaving behind some not very impressed Royal Marines and Afghan civilian workers.

Anthony Loyd, the Times' man at Kajaki has the story.

Tags: Afghanistan, Helmand, Kajaki Dam.

Lord Falconer on human rights and terrorism.

Lord Falconer, the Lord Chancellor, has been addressing the Royal United Services Institute on the subject of human rights and terrorism. Here is the full speech.

The speech itself is mostly waffle about the value of this government's human rights legislation and similar worthy sentiments. Falconer's main arguments appears to be three points about the fight against terrorism: it must must be policy led, not dominated by human rights lawyers; it is a struggle for values, so it must involve a hearts and minds campaign; and the Human Rights Act is an essential part of "identifying, defining and protecting" those values.

There is no detailed proposals in the speech, only what the BBC refers to as hints but the press has obviously been briefed. According to the Daily Telegraph report of the speech, the government will attempt to increase the permitted detention period for terrorist suspects from the present 28 days to 56 days; and the police will no longer be prevented from questioning suspects who have already been charged. However, the DT points to Whitehall speculation that nothing will actually be done until Blair has left office.

Tags: Lord Falconer, Royal United Services Institute.