http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/uktroops/ en-us Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:33:35 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2037728/posts A British soldier was killed and two others injured when a vehicle they were travelling in rolled over while on patrol in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said on Saturday. "The vehicle had been part of a patrol, conducting force protection when the incident occurred. The incident was not combat-related," said the MOD in statement. The three soldiers, who were from the 13 Air Assault Support Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, were evacuated to NATO's International Security Assistance Force's medical facilities at Camp Bastion... ...The death in Helmand province brings to 109 the number of British troops killed since U.S.-led... Reuters UK http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2037728/posts#comment Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:33:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2037722/posts ASRA — Operation Charge of the Knights, a joint operation involving UK Soldiers and the Iraqi Army, which aims to restore order and improve security in Basra, is making further progress. The Iraqi Army continues to demonstrate its commitment to improving the security situation in the city, carrying out a number of vehicle check points in recent days. Inspections were carried out on a number of vehicles which were going in and out of the city. In addition, numerous house searches were carried out, leading to multiple arrests of suspected militants. 140 rounds of 150mm High Explosive shells were also... MFN-Iraq.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2037722/posts#comment Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:05:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2036068/posts A British soldier has been killed by an explosion while checking for mines in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday. The soldier, from the 4th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, was thrown from his vehicle by an explosion on Tuesday in the Upper Sangin valley, a region in the south of the country that is the focus of intense fighting. "He was killed by a suspected IED explosion," the ministry said in a statement. "No one else was injured in the incident." Another British soldier was killed in the same area of the country, also on Tuesday,... Reuters UK http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2036068/posts#comment Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:31:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032183/posts There were questions surrounding Gordon Brown when he became Great Britain's Prime Minister. Taking office with echoes of "lap dog" following his predecessor Tony Blair, many wondered just how committed Brown would be to the "Special Relationship" between the US and Great Britain and whether he would initiate a more independent course in foreign affairs. Brown may yet eschew supporting the US on many issues. But on increasing sanctions on Iran and sending additional troops to Afghanistan - two things the US devoutly wished Brown would accede to - the British Prime Minister has come through..... American Thinket http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032183/posts#comment Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:24:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032168/posts Sky news poll on Afghanistan http://news.sky.com/skynews/home The Brits’ support in Afghanistan is a good thing. Help support our troops by supporting the Brits’ presence there. Please copy this link to a doc, and vote from your own computer. Often the polls close as soon as they see a Free Republic response. . . Sky News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032168/posts#comment Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:12:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032000/posts WASHINGTON, June 16, 2008 – The United Kingdom will increase the number of troops it contributes to the coalition effort in Afghanistan, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced today. Brown made the announcement during a joint news conference with President Bush in London. The two leaders also discussed a range of issues, including Iraq and Iran. “We have resolved, first of all, as we did some years ago, that it is in the British national interest to confront the Taliban in Afghanistan or Afghanistan would come to us,” Brown said. “And so today, Britain will announce additional troops for... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032000/posts#comment Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:13:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2031660/posts A British soldier told yesterday how he survived after a Taliban sniper’s bullet passed through his brain. Sergeant Alistair McKinney of the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment said the bullet entered his head above his left eye, went through his brain and exited his skull above his right ear. Sgt McKinney, 36, was hit by sniper fire from hills as he patrolled the perimeter fence of his base at Musa Qala, Afghanistan in August 2005. He has no recollection of the shooting. He said: “The bullet smashed my forehead just above the left eye, went through part of my brain... Telegraph UK http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2031660/posts#comment Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:58:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2031361/posts More British troops are to be sent to Afghanistan, the Government will announce next week. The Daily Telegraph has learned that reinforcements are being deployed as British forces face fierce resistance from the Taliban and doubts grow about the West's strategy in Afghanistan. Five men from the Parachute Regiment have been killed in Afghanistan this week, taking the British death toll in the country to 102. Britain has 7,800 troops in Afghanistan and Des Browne, the defence secretary, will tell MPs on Monday that at least 200 more are being deployed. Article continues advertisement The increase will take British numbers... The Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2031361/posts#comment Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:07:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2030468/posts RAF pilot refuses US order to trim moustache By Lucy Cockcroft Last updated: 6:29 AM BST 13/06/2008 An RAF pilot has been ordered to trim his handlebar moustache by an American General who took offence at its length, but the British serviceman was not prepared to lose his whiskers without a fight. The British airman, who sports a handlebar moustache in the proud tradition of the RAF, refused to comply when his superior officer in Afghanistan took offence at his facial hair. Showing a bravado akin to that of Biggles, he fought back, eventually convincing the general that his generous... The Daily Telegraph,UK http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2030468/posts#comment Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:30:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2027946/posts Controversial actor Rupert Everett has accused British soldiers risking their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan of being "whining wimps", it emerged today. --snip-- And comparing troops from now and then he said: “In Burton's day they were itching to get into the fray. “Now it is the opposite. They are always whining about the dangers of being killed. Oh my God, they are such wimps now! "The whole point of being in the Army is wanting to get killed, wanting to test yourself to the limits. Now you have to fly 15,000ft above the war zone to avoid getting hit.... Daily Mail http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2027946/posts#comment Sun, 8 Jun 2008 17:51:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2027472/posts The RAF has used an unmanned drone to kill a Taliban leader for the first time, the Mail has learned. Two 'pilots', controlling the robot via satellite from an airbase outside Las Vegas, spotted a target thousands of miles away in southern Afghanistan. They ordered the £10million Reaper drone to carry out an airstrike. Sources at the Ministry of Defence said the strike, which took place in the last ten days, killed a 'high value' Taliban target, but officials would not confirm the insurgent's identity. The attack marks a symbolic watershed in Britain's use of military airpower. Many in the... dailymail.co.uk http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2027472/posts#comment Sat, 7 Jun 2008 04:53:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2024582/posts Missions by special forces and air strikes by unmanned drones have "decapitated" the Taliban and brought the war in Afghanistan to a "tipping point", the commander of British forces has said. The new "precise, surgical" tactics have killed scores of insurgent leaders and made it extremely difficult for Pakistan-based Taliban leaders to prosecute the campaign, according to Brig Mark Carleton-Smith. In the past two years an estimated 7,000 Taliban have been killed, the majority in southern and eastern Afghanistan. But it is the "very effective targeted decapitation operations" that have removed "several echelons of commanders". A member of 2 Scots... The Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2024582/posts#comment Mon, 2 Jun 2008 00:25:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2024448/posts Five weeks ago Leila Hussein told The Observer the chilling story of how her husband had killed their 17-year-old daughter over her friendship with a British soldier in Basra. Now Leila, who had been in hiding, has been murdered - gunned down in cold blood. Leila Hussein lived her last few weeks in terror. Moving constantly from safe house to safe house, she dared to stay no longer than four days at each. It was the price she was forced to pay after denouncing and divorcing her husband - the man she witnessed suffocate, stamp on, then stab their young... Guardian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2024448/posts#comment Sun, 1 Jun 2008 17:44:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2024325/posts The Taliban have been tactically routed in southern Afghanistan, with enemy forces 'licking their wounds' after a series of emphatic defeats, say senior British military commanders. In one of the most bullish assessments yet of the conflict in Helmand province, Brigadier Gordon Messenger said the Taliban's command structure had been 'fractured' and its fighters forced on to the backfoot. As British forces continue to consolidate positions throughout the Helmand valley, Messenger said latest intelligence indicated that the ferocious fighting that had defined Helmand for the past two summers was unlikely to be repeated. 'It's become apparent that the Taliban are... The Observer http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2024325/posts#comment Sun, 1 Jun 2008 11:36:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2022703/posts The battered para — who had to leave the Army last year after seven years of service when he injured his back in a jump — was attacked in Bradford. He was struck ten times on the body and face, leaving him with a suspected fractured skull and terrible facial injuries. The man, who does not want to be identified for fear he could be targeted again, had just finished a shift as a part-time security guard at 3am. As he smoked a cigarette outside a pizza shop, his attacker struck for no reason, snarling that he would "put him... The Sun http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2022703/posts#comment Wed, 28 May 2008 23:58:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2021010/posts Iran has secretly paid Iraqi insurgents hundreds of thousands of American dollars to kill British soldiers, according to a leaked government document obtained by The Telegraph. The allegations are contained in a confidential "field report" written by a British officer who served in Basra during one of the most dangerous periods of the conflict. The report, which has never been made public, shows the full level of Iran's involvement in the insurgency for the first time. The document states that the Jaish al-Mahdi (JAM) – also known as the Mahdi Army – one of the most violent insurgent groups operating... telegraph.co.uk http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2021010/posts#comment Sun, 25 May 2008 13:47:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2018141/posts Discrimination against British soldiers in uniform to become a criminal offenceby MATTHEW HICKLEY - More by this author » Last updated at 16:35pm on 19th May 2008New laws will make it a criminal offence to discriminate against Britain's soldiers, sailors and airmen wearing uniform in public, under Government proposals outlined yesterday. Courts will also hand out tougher punishments to anyone who assaults or threatens a serviceman wearing the Queen's uniform - which will become an 'aggravating factor' during sentencing. Other measures designed to boost recognition and respect for the UK armed forces include a drive to encourage thousands more... The Daily Mail (U.K.) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2018141/posts#comment Mon, 19 May 2008 16:48:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2017788/posts Two hundred years after the battle of Trafalgar, the navy could end up sharing the pride of its fleet with the French. Driven by spiralling budgets, the two navies began talks last week aimed at sharing their aircraft carriers. The government is expected to give the go-ahead for the Royal Navy’s two new aircraft carriers this week, part of a joint Anglo-French project to build a total of three. The French, who currently have only one carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, are questioning whether they can afford a replacement and are keen to explore closer co-operation with Britain instead. “We... Times Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2017788/posts#comment Sun, 18 May 2008 21:39:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2015084/posts Britain has been in charge of four provinces in southern Iraq since Saddam Hussein's downfall. While the divisional command will continue to operate under British leadership at Basra airbase, the orders of the US units will be to "get out front" and resume patrols and combat missions. US hopes of making the whole of Iraq secure before its eventual withdrawal have been raised by what commanders see as a potential southern version of the Sahwa, or tribal awakening, which turned locals against al-Qa'eda. Troops have been shifted from Anbar province to the Tallil airbase, Nasiriya, to assume responsibility from 550... The Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2015084/posts#comment Tue, 13 May 2008 03:15:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2014269/posts Two weeks after The Observer revealed the shocking story of Rand Abdel-Qader, 17, murdered because of her infatuation with a British solider in Basra, southern Iraq, her father is defiant. Sitting in the front garden of his well-kept home in the city's Al-Fursi district, he remains a free man, despite having stamped on, suffocated and then stabbed his student daughter to death. Abdel-Qader, 46, a government employee, was initially arrested but released after two hours. Astonishingly, he said, police congratulated him on what he had done. 'They are men and know what honour is,' he said. Rand, who was studying... The Guardian (UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2014269/posts#comment Sun, 11 May 2008 02:07:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2010787/posts When 17-year old Rand Abdel-Qader met a British soldier in Basra, she dreamt of romance. But five months later she was murdered in a savage attack by her father. But there will be no trial: this was an 'honour killing'. Rand Abdel-Qader, 17, told her closest friend that she was in love from the moment she set eyes on the young British soldier working alongside her in Basra, and she dreamed of a future with him. It was an innocent infatuation but five months after Rand, a student of English at Basra University, met Paul, a 22-year-old soldier posted to... The Observer http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2010787/posts#comment Sat, 3 May 2008 19:19:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2010697/posts British soldier has been killed and three others injured in an explosion in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said. Their vehicle hit a mine while on a routine patrol in Helmand province in the south of the country. The four soldiers were from the Household Cavalry Regiment. The next of kin have been informed. The death brings the number of UK troops killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 95. bbc news online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2010697/posts#comment Sat, 3 May 2008 15:02:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2008948/posts US Marines poured into a lawless town in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province — the first time a sizeable American force has fought in the largely British sector of the country for several years. About 2,400 Marines, many veterans of the war in Iraq, were involved in the dawn assault on Garmser. Helicopters and armoured vehicles surrounded the town, known as a Taleban stronghold and big staging post for drug traffickers involved in the thriving opium trade in Helmand. “We haven’t seen anybody who isn’t carrying a gun,” said Major Tom Clinton, the commander of US forces at Forward Operating Base... Times Online (UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2008948/posts#comment Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:58:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007680/posts A teenage Iraqi girl who fell in love with a British soldier when he was in Basra was murdered by her father in an "honour killing", it was revealed today. Rand Abdel-Qader, 17, was suffocated and then hacked at with a knife after her family discovered she was friends with the 22-year-old soldier who she knew only as Paul. The pair first met when Rand was working on an aid project for displaced families but it is thought the soldier is unaware of the girl's fate. She was stamped on, suffocated and stabbed - leaving her with puncture wounds all... Daily Mail http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007680/posts#comment Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:59:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007503/posts Britain is to deploy hundreds of troops to Kosovo in a move likely to revive claims that the government is demanding too much from its armed forces. Senior military and defence officials have agreed to a request from Nato to send a battlegroup based on 2 Rifles, a light infantry battalion of about 600 soldiers, to help maintain "public order" in the newly independent Balkan state, the Guardian has learned. For the first six months of this year, Britain is responsible for providing Nato's standby reserve force for the Balkans. British defence sources said yesterday the deployment of 2 Rifles... The Guardian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007503/posts#comment Sun, 27 Apr 2008 01:16:34 GMT