Impressive....most impressive....
"It is too late for them to stop us now....everything is proceeding as planned....WIPE THEM OUT,ALL OF THEM"
UK OFFICER LEADING US TROOPS
Brigadier Dutton is leading both US and UK marines The British officer who led Royal Marine Commandos in the attack on the al-Faw peninsula also has thousands of US troops under his control. It is the first time a British officer has commanded such a large number of American troops since the World War II. Royal Marine Brigadier Jim Dutton, commander of 3 Commando Brigade, has about 2,000 US Marines at his disposal, 600 of which were reported to have been used in Thursday night's attack. The move has been seen as a diplomatic gesture from the US, a reward to Tony Blair for his unstinting support for the White House policy on Iraq. Brigadier Dutton is a veteran both of previous conflicts and - perhaps more importantly - delicate military diplomacy with the Americans. Click here for more on the US-UK chain of command in Iraq The historic operation was his first major test since his appointment last year as the successor to the controversial commander of the Royal Marines in Afghanistan, Brigadier Roger Lane. Brigadier Dutton has developed the crucial diplomatic skills that will equip him for the highly sensitive task of leading US Marines. After working in the high-level post of Director of Nato Policy, Brigadier Dutton was attending the Royal College of Defence Studies when global warfare suddenly changed with the 11 September terrorist attacks on the US. The "war on terror" saw him plucked from the course at short notice and dispatched to Washington to fill the vital role of the Chief of Defence Staff's liaison officer with the Pentagon. After six months working closely with the US Defence Department's top brass, his credentials within the Pentagon high command could not be better for an operation as sensitive as commanding American Marines. Brigadier Dutton's professional military experience began more than 30 years ago when he joined the Royal Marines. His early career as a rifle troop commander took him to Northern Ireland during some of the bloodiest of the troubles. He has since led 40 Commando in exercises in Jordan, the Kalahari Desert and on stand-by deployment in Brazzaville in West Africa.
