Which Side Are We On Again?

Ted Rall

Good question, perhaps even more relevant as it comes to light that British soldiers attacked the duly elected authorities in Basra to free "undercover soldiers" (spies who under the Geneva Convention can be shot out of hand) who were apprehended dressed as Arabs after firing on and killing a policeman who approached them. They were subsequently arrested at which point the Brits sent in a mechaninsed infantry platoon or two to free them by destroying the prison
















(freeing 150 criminals, some of whom were no doubt involved in planting bombs and other malarkey). Despite what you hear on the news, the two out of uniform soldiers were arrested by the duly elected civil authority in Basra and held in accordance with the law. In that part of the world they get a little jumpy when people dressed in disguises roll up in a car full of explosives and weapons and fire on the police.
























A grab from footage released on September 20, 2005 shows weapons which Iraqi police said were confiscated from two undercover British soldiers after their arrest in Basra, southern Iraq, September 19, 2005. (Al-Iraqiya via Reuters television/Reuters)

There are barely 5,000 British combat troops in Iraq. They're soon to have an exciting time thanks to whoever ordered this idiotic operation.




















A British soldier jumps from a burning tank which was set ablaze after a shooting incident in the southern Iraqi city of Basra September 19, 2005. Angry crowds attacked a British tank with petrol bombs and rocks in Basra on Monday after Iraqi authorities said they had detained two British undercover soldiers in the southern city for firing on police. Two Iraqis were killed in the violence, an Interior Ministry official said. REUTERS/Atef Hassan


At the very least the last thing they need is to confirm every conspiracy theory in Iraq. The pool of resistance fighters probably just doubled.