Turns out british troops were killed trying to confiscate small arms
and handguns, by irate Iraqi gun owners.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp.../iraq_blair_dc
Blair: Troops Faced Problems Disarming Iraqis
LONDON (Reuters) - Six British troops killed in Iraq (news - web
sites) may have run into trouble as they tried to disarm the local
population, Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) said on
Wednesday.
"There is a background to do with the attempts by British forces to
make sure the local population, who regularly carry machine guns and
small firearms, were disarmed of those weapons," Blair told
parliament.
"There had been problems in relation to that. That may form part of
the background to it but at the moment it's simply too early to say."
Local residents have said Iraqi civilians shot dead the six soldiers
and wounded eight others during clashes on Tuesday over intrusive arms
searches.
But a British military spokesman, Ronnie McCourt, said the killing of
the military police officers in the southern town of Majjar was
unprovoked murder. Witnesses and residents said four Iraqis were
killed and 14 wounded in the clashes with the British soldiers in
Majjar, 18 miles south of the city of al Amarah.
The clashes followed resentment over weapons searches by British
soldiers and erupted after troops fired plastic bullets to try to
control thousands of protesters, they said.
Blair said that within 24 hours, he expected to be able to say more
about the group that attacked the forces. Earlier, his spokesman said
he did not recognize such a portrayal of British forces' actions or
"rumors being bandied around."
Blair said there was no question of Britain turning its back on Iraq,
despite the losses.
More British troops would be sent to Iraq if needed, he added but said
local commanders believed they had enough forces.
and handguns, by irate Iraqi gun owners.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp.../iraq_blair_dc
Blair: Troops Faced Problems Disarming Iraqis
LONDON (Reuters) - Six British troops killed in Iraq (news - web
sites) may have run into trouble as they tried to disarm the local
population, Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) said on
Wednesday.
"There is a background to do with the attempts by British forces to
make sure the local population, who regularly carry machine guns and
small firearms, were disarmed of those weapons," Blair told
parliament.
"There had been problems in relation to that. That may form part of
the background to it but at the moment it's simply too early to say."
Local residents have said Iraqi civilians shot dead the six soldiers
and wounded eight others during clashes on Tuesday over intrusive arms
searches.
But a British military spokesman, Ronnie McCourt, said the killing of
the military police officers in the southern town of Majjar was
unprovoked murder. Witnesses and residents said four Iraqis were
killed and 14 wounded in the clashes with the British soldiers in
Majjar, 18 miles south of the city of al Amarah.
The clashes followed resentment over weapons searches by British
soldiers and erupted after troops fired plastic bullets to try to
control thousands of protesters, they said.
Blair said that within 24 hours, he expected to be able to say more
about the group that attacked the forces. Earlier, his spokesman said
he did not recognize such a portrayal of British forces' actions or
"rumors being bandied around."
Blair said there was no question of Britain turning its back on Iraq,
despite the losses.
More British troops would be sent to Iraq if needed, he added but said
local commanders believed they had enough forces.
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