Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

October 12, 2008 2:02:14 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

Stories related to: British troops

Stories

17 Stories

  • March 2008

    • Brits Join the Fight in Basra

      Daily Telegraph (UK)  |  Mar 29, 08 11:27 AM CDT

      Brits Join the Fight in Basra

      (Newser) - As the Iraqi army struggles to combat militias in Basra, British troops for the first time directly joined the fight, and American forces expanded their bombing beyond the militia stronghold. The Brits, who had previously provided only logistical and air support to the Iraqis, fired on an insurgent mortar team in Bosra, the Telegraph reports. Moqtada al-Sadr, meanwhile, told his soldiers not to surrender their weapons. More »

      Tags

      Iraq  • George W. Bush  • Iraq war  • US military  • Nouri al-Maliki  • Muqtada al-Sadr  • Basra  • British troops  • Shiite insurgents  • British

    • Prince Harry Should Have Stayed

      Slate  |  Mar 12, 08 9:11 AM CDT

      Prince Harry Should Have Stayed

      (Newser) - When Matt Drudge revealed to the world Prince Harry was in Afghanistan, there he should have stayed, writes Christopher Hitchens for Slate. It's "piffle" to think that his royal highness was a "bullet magnet" in Helmand province, already one of the most dangerous places on Earth for any Western soldier. Even if the jihadists wanted to, Hitchens reasons, they couldn't "bring extra firepower to bear." More »

      Tags

      Afghanistan  • War on Terror  • war  • Prince Harry  • British troops  • Drudge Report  • Helmand province  • Matt Drudge  • British Army  • Buckingham Palace

    • Aussie Mag Apologizes to Harry

      Reuters  |  Mar 10, 08 4:30 AM CDT

      Aussie Mag Apologizes to Harry

      (Newser) - An Australian women's magazine has apologized to Britain's Prince Harry for breaking a media embargo and being the first to reveal that he was serving with troops in Afghanistan. The young royal was immediately pulled from the combat zone after just 10 weeks because of fears he would become a terror target. "We do acknowledge that our actions in publishing the story can be reasonably viewed as insensitive and irresponsible," said the magazine New Idea . More »

      Tags

      Afghanistan  • Great Britain  • British royals  • Prince Harry  • British troops  • Prince Charles  • Drudge Report

  • February 2008

    • UK Troops Accused of Executing Iraqis

      BBC  |  Feb 22, 08 2:35 PM CST

      UK Troops Accused of Executing Iraqis

      (Newser) - British soldiers killed up to 20 Iraqi captives after a 2004 firefight, say lawyers representing five men taken prisoner that day, the BBC reports. The men—described by their lawyers as laborers, not insurgents—say they heard UK soldiers killing and torturing captives at a British base after the gun battle. The lawyers say soldiers also mutilated corpses. British defense officials deny the allegations. More »

      Tags

      Iraq  • United Kingdom  • torture  • Mahdi Army  • British troops  • Scotland Yard  • prisoner of war  • Ministry of Defence

  • December 2007

    • After 5 Years, Brits Hand Over Basra to Iraqis

      Reuters  |  Dec 16, 07 6:16 AM CST

      After 5 Years, Brits Hand Over Basra to Iraqis

      (Newser) - Ending five years of British control in southern Iraq, the UK today handed over authority for the wealthy, populous Basra region to the Iraqi government. Residents greeted the handover with jubilation, but the responsibility for Basra—strategically located, an oil export hub and home of Iraq's only port—will prove a tough test for the Baghdad government, Reuters reports. More »

      Tags

      Iraq  • Iraq pullout  • Basra  • British troops  • British military  • Iraq violence

  • October 2007

    • Britain Coordinated Troop Cuts With the US

      Los Angeles Times  |  Oct 11, 07 6:55 PM CDT

      Britain Coordinated Troop Cuts With the US

      (Newser) - The British and American defense secretaries say the US was consulted before Britain halved its troops in Iraq, the Los Angeles Times reports, and they agreed southern Iraq was secure enough for the withdrawal. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the withdrawal was coordinated with US commander Gen. David Petraeus, despite concerns over the cuts from some senior US officials. More »

      Tags

      Iraq  • David Petraeus  • troop withdrawal  • Robert Gates  • British troops  • Des Browne

    • UK to Slash Iraq Force by More Than Half

      Guardian (UK)  |  Oct 8, 07 1:15 PM CDT

      UK to Slash Iraq Force by More Than Half

      (Newser) - British troops will number only 2,500 in Iraq by next spring, Gordon Brown said today. In “two distinct stages,” the PM said, the UK will shrink its presence to 4,000 troops from the current 5,500 and then to 2,500, the Guardian reports. Three of four provinces under UK control have already been handed over to local forces, Brown said. More »

      Tags

      Iraq  • Gordon Brown  • Basra  • British troops  • Tories  • drawdown

  • August 2007

    • Britain Defies US on Iraq Pullout

      Times (UK)  |  Aug 28, 07 11:48 AM CDT

      Britain Defies US on Iraq Pullout

      (Newser) - The UK foreign secretary has challenged American criticism, asserting that only his government will dictate the pace and timing of a British withdrawal from Iraq. David Miliband responded to allegations from a retired US general that the UK army must step up efforts in Basra. "The British national interest," not wider coalition success, will be his focus, Millband said. More »

      Tags

      Iraq  • Iraq war  • United Kingdom  • Gordon Brown  • David Petraeus  • British troops  • David Miliband

    • Three UK Soldiers Killed by US Fire

      Times (UK)  |  Aug 24, 07 9:59 AM CDT

      Three UK Soldiers Killed by US Fire

      (Newser) - Fire from an American jet killed three British soldiers in Afghanistan yesterday evening in one of the worst “friendly fire” disasters in years. The US air support was called in to aid the soldiers, who were fighting Taliban forces; a single bomb from the F15 killed the Royal Anglian soldiers and wounded two others. An investigation was launched immediately, the Times reports. More »

      Tags

      Afghanistan  • Great Britain  • military  • bomb  • British troops  • friendly fire

    • US Rattled by Brit Pullout Plans

      Guardian (UK)  |  Aug 8, 07 4:51 AM CDT

      US Rattled by Brit Pullout Plans

      (Newser) - The White House is increasingly concerned about the timing of the British troop pullout from Iraq, expected to be announced by PM Gordon Brown in October, the Guardian reports. About 5,000 British troops remain in the Basra area, where they' have already withdrawn to  an area around the city's airport. "It's the wild west. Basra is out of control," said a Brookings Institute foreign affairs expert. More »

      Tags

      Iraq  • Gordon Brown  • White House  • troop withdrawal  • Basra  • British troops  • Brookings Institution

    • As Brits Leave, Basra Crumbles

      Washington Post  |  Aug 7, 07 9:31 AM CDT

      As Brits Leave, Basra Crumbles

      (Newser) - The southern Iraqi port of Basra was once hailed as a success for coalition troops, but as British forces pull out, the city is devolving into violent conflict typical of Baghdad. Loose political parties and criminal gangs, which the remaining Brits are powerless to control, are fighting to dominate the town—perhaps prefiguring a possible Balkanization when the US leaves Iraq. More »

      Tags

      Iraq  • Shiite  • violence  • Basra  • British troops

    • Long Combat Tours Take Mental Toll

      Guardian (UK)  |  Aug 3, 07 5:48 AM CDT

      Long Combat Tours Take Mental Toll

      (Newser) - Soldiers who serve extended tours in combat zones have much higher rates of alcoholism, post traumatic stress syndrome and problems at home, a large British study has found. Of those in war zones for more than 13 months over three years, one in four had "severe" alcohol problems, compared to one in 10 who served shorter deployments. More »

      Tags

      Iraq  • Afghanistan  • war  • soldier  • mental health  • mental illness  • PTSD  • British troops  • alcoholism

  • July 2007

    • Brown Sends Mixed Signals in Talks with Bush

      CNN  |  Jul 30, 07 5:02 PM CDT

      Brown Sends Mixed Signals in Talks with Bush

      (Newser) - On his first US visit as PM, Gordon Brown today reaffirmed that the US and the UK stand together in the war on terrorism. Wrapping up 2 days of meetings with President Bush, Brown expressed disappointment with progress in Iraq, CNN reports, specifically noting difficulty "getting political reconciliation within Iraq" and the slow progress toward reconstruction. More »

      Tags

      George W. Bush  • Iraq war  • Gordon Brown  • troop withdrawal  • British troops

    • Brown Visits US Amid Talk of Cooling Ties

      Associated Press  |  Jul 29, 07 5:56 PM CDT

      Brown Visits US Amid Talk of Cooling Ties

      (Newser) - Gordon Brown embarked today for his first call on President Bush, while the press at home speculated on whether the green PM's relationship with his counterpart was cooling or too warm. Brown's predecessor, Tony Blair, had a close relationship with Bush—too close for some UK observers. Iraq, a potential wedge issue, will be on the crowded agenda. More »

      Tags

      Iraq  • George W. Bush  • Iraq war  • Great Britain  • Gordon Brown  • British terror attacks  • British troops

    • Iraqis Go on Alert as Mammoth Badgers Stalk City

      Yahoo!  |  Jul 13, 07 7:02 AM CDT

      Iraqis Go on Alert as Mammoth Badgers Stalk City

      (Newser) - Badgers have invaded Basra, Iraq, spurring fears of a man-eating monster on the loose in the port city. Despite Iraqi scientists' assurances that the creatures are not dangerous to humans, locals demonize the oversized carnivores and blame British troops for for unleashing them. The badgers "don't stalk humans and carry them back to their lair," a British officer tells AFP. More »

      Tags