Britain Opens Doors to Iraqi Interpreters

With visa process slowed, many now fear for their lives

(NEWSER) - When the US signed up translators in Iraq, it promised them an inside track for a special visa to the US. But now that the war is over, the visa approval process has slowed to a crawl, leaving translators stuck in Iraq—where many want them dead for helping the Americans, the LA Times reports. “I served the Americans very well, but now they’ve left me on my own, with no security,” says one ex-translator. More»

IT consultant in captivity for more than 2 years

(NEWSER) - A British hostage has been released more than two years after he was captured in Iraq, the BBC reports. IT consultant Peter Moore, kidnapped in May 2007 by militants disguised as police in Baghdad, is “absolutely delighted” after years of “misery, fear, and uncertainty,” says Britain’s foreign secretary. “I'm breaking down, I'm just so overjoyed for the lad,” says his father. More»

Young corporal complained about 'dud' lungs

(NEWSER) - A British war hero died of a cancerous tumor after receiving "dud" lungs from a heavy smoker in a transplant operation, his wife complained in an inquest. After Iraq vet Corp. Matthew Millington was diagnosed with an incurable lung disease, he was given lungs from a dead man who had smoked 50 cigarettes a day, reports the Times of London. Immuno-suppressive drugs given to Millington for the transplant helped speed the cancer, which appeared within months of the transplant. More»

(NEWSER) - Britain officially ended its combat operations in Iraq today, lowering the flags of its armored brigade and turning over control of its Basra base to US troops, the Guardian reports. “The role of British ground forces is finished,” a defense official confirmed. “Today, Iraq is a success story,” added Gordon Brown, after a meeting with Nouri al-Maliki in London. “Britain can be proud of our legacy that we leave there.” More»

Brown says troops home by July in surprise Baghdad visit

(NEWSER) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown made a surprise visit to Baghdad today and announced that all but a handful of British troops will leave Iraq by July 2009. About 4,000 British service members remain in Iraq, mostly around Basra, though at the height of the war 100,000 were deployed. Since the war began 178 British troops have lost their lives, reports the Times of London. More»