Iraq: Brit Soldiers Dressed As Arabs In car Packed With Explosives Captured

Originally posted by QuietSoul


Also, I'm not sure where you got those pictures, or how long they'll be available.. because every news source I've seen show's these guys' faces blurred at the request of the MoD.. I copied both pictures and I'll upload them to ATS if the pics get taken down..

Umm why exactly ? Do you like the way they look or something ?

Originally posted by rogue1

Originally posted by QuietSoul


Also, I'm not sure where you got those pictures, or how long they'll be available.. because every news source I've seen show's these guys' faces blurred at the request of the MoD.. I copied both pictures and I'll upload them to ATS if the pics get taken down..

Umm why exactly ? Do you like the way they look or something ?

I saved them for reference. Because the media has a tendacy to change stories, remove facts, and bury the hachet.

If the faces of 2 men pretending to be terrorists, gunning down civilians and policemen, aren't important to you, then you're obviously on the wrong thread.

The official said two unknown gunmen in full Arabic dress began firing on civilians in central Basra, wounding several, including a traffic police officer. There were no fatalities, the official said.

The two gunmen fled the scene but were captured and taken in for questioning, admitting they were British marines carrying out a "special security task," the official said.

British troops launched the rescue about three hours after Iraqi authorities informed British commanders the men were being held at the police department's major crime unit, the official said.

They were "rescued" because the MoD knows this story, if taken to court, could possibly open up a damn of misfortunes the Allied forces have perpetrated in Iraq.




[edit on 9/20/2005 by QuietSoul]

[edit on 9/20/2005 by QuietSoul]

The two soldiers were using a civilian car packed with explosives.

now this explains most of the car-bombs going-off in civilian regions killing hundreds of civilians and iraqi police. they were already shooting at police in arab uniforms, god I hate those arabs (sarcasm). this is a big event really.

MI6 and CIA are our friends. repeat. MI6 and CIA are our friends.

now whenever some ignorant fellow says something like "they are blowing eachother away, making our jobs easier", you can present this link.

powers at work are playing both Iraqi, American and British Public (include the rest of the world here also) like a game of chess. this is hilarious. I hope they will teach these ages in the future with all objectivity, maybe then students of history will learn what we can not today.

[edit on 20-9-2005 by xu]

Originally posted by SpittinCobra
This will not hit main stream media.

Bets anyone?

Man, I shoulda took that bet. Just saw it on Fox news, they reported protesters in Basra set fire to a British tank after two british soldiers opened fire on Iraqi police, killing one officer. Although they didn't mention anything about them being dressed as arabs or in a car packed with explosives.

Originally posted by QuietSoul
Does anyone know what division they were from? Their names?

This is all important information that should be researched :x

I don't recall having seen this info yet. But whatever they finally tell us should probably be taken with a large grain of salt.

Why were they dressed like Arabs, driving a car loaded with explosives? To strike against Al Sadrs' followers and make it look like the insurgency did it? There was most likely a detonation device somewhere in that car.

Maybe Al Sadr is getting too cozy with the insurgency? Even that doesn't make this operation make any sense.

We won't know until we learn who the target of those explosives was.

Looks like it's all over the mainstream media now, here's CNN's report:

British Defense Ministry Secretary John Reid confirmed two British military personnel were "released," but he gave no details on how they were freed.

In a statement released in London, Reid did not say why the two had been taken into custody. But the Iraqi official, who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity, said their arrests stemmed from an incident earlier in the day.

The official said two unknown gunmen in full Arabic dress began firing on civilians in central Basra, wounding several, including a traffic police officer. There were no fatalities, the official said.

The two gunmen fled the scene but were captured and taken in for questioning, admitting they were British marines carrying out a "special security task," the official said.

British troops launched the rescue about three hours after Iraqi authorities informed British commanders the men were being held at the police department's major crime unit, the official said.

Iraqi police said members of Iraq's Mehdi Army militia engaged the British forces around the facility, burning one personnel carrier and an armored vehicle.

Video showed dozens of Iraqis surrounding British armored vehicles and tossing gasoline bombs, rocks and other debris at them.

With one vehicle engulfed in flames, a soldier opened the hatch and bailed out as rocks were thrown at him. Another photograph showed a British soldier on fire on top of a tank.

"Many of those present were clearly prepared well in advance to cause trouble, and we believe that the majority of Iraq people would deplore this violence," Reid said.

Reid said both troops were "being treated for minor injuries only and are expected to return to duty shortly."

He said British forces "remain committed to helping the Iraqi government for as long as they judge that a coalition presence is necessary to provide security.

"The situation in Basra is currently calmer after a day of disturbances. At this stage, it is not possible to be certain why these disturbances began," he said.

www.cnn.com...

I wonder why Fox said they killed one officer, maybe I didn't hear it right.

[edit on 20-9-2005 by 27jd]

I cant see how this isnt going to become a major issue for the ANtI war people..

.... Our own coalition has just been caught, wearing arab garb.. shooting at the IRAQI police WE set up.. with a car laden with explosives...

But im sure.. under the guise of national security the details surrounding the capture, and mission of the subjects will be withheld.
and anyone caught discussing sections of the case or the details surrounding the caputre will be prosecuted.

I think this is the last we will hear about this from any news source.
that..... or the the coalition will explain they were a rogue unit, whom detached from there company only hours prior.. and had suffered extreme war stress.. the Coalition is in no way responsible for there acts

I wonder how many attacks bombs will happen this week, being now the Americans and Brits know people are looking doubly hard for who's behind the wheel of the violent vehicles.

.... the ramafacations of this.. if it is indeed true.. that the coalition is causing the violence simply to keep forces in.. is going to be horrendous.

I dont think anyone will take to the americans/brits killing INNOCENTS simply to keep the war going very well at all.....
This just addds an extreme amoutn of weight to the reports this week that the Americans are keeping the ghost of zarqawi alive simply to prolong this war.

Not good..
Plus.. these Iraqi police forces which we equiped and trained have just figured out that it is there trainers, there saviours that are gunning them down in the streets, and setting of car bombs.... maybe we shouldnt of given them so many guns.. or trained them so well.. whats stopping them from starting the action against american troops.
If we cant get any Iraqi secuirity forces then the small amount of progress that the Coalition has achieved will be bought to nill...

looking at the photos one thing stood out a LOT..
they both have beards/mustaches...
this clearly has been a prolonged effort to LOOK arab...
u dont grow that over night..
this... is definately farked up!






[edit on 20-9-2005 by Agit8dChop]

[edit on 20-9-2005 by Agit8dChop]

[edit on 20-9-2005 by Agit8dChop]

There's a lot more to this story bthan you guys have said so far

here's the latest from the BBC

news.bbc.co.uk...

Two British soldiers freed after tanks broke into a Basra prison were being held by Shia militiamen, the Ministry of Defence said.
The MoD said the men had been found at a nearby house after troops broke into the city's prison to look for them.

Basra governor Mohammed al-Waili called the Army action a "barbaric act of aggression".

The arrests sparked unrest in which UK tanks came under attack. Reports said two Iraqi civilians were killed.

The two men - thought to be British servicemen working undercover - were accused of opening fire on local police.

An MoD spokesman said: "Two British soldiers were detained and taken to an Iraqi police station. We then started negotiating with the Iraqi authorities for their release.

"We understand that the authorities ordered their release. Unfortunately they weren't released and we became concerned for their safety and as a result a Warrior infantry fighting vehicle broke down the perimeter wall in one place.

"Our guys went in there and searched it from top to bottom in order to go and recover our two soldiers who had been detained.

"They weren't there unfortunately but we did obtain intelligence that pointed to where they were. We then launched another operation to recover them, from a house in Basra."

Mr al-Waili said more than 10 tanks and helicopters were used in the operation at the jail.

The MoD denied witness reports to the Associated Press that about 150 prisoners escaped after the demolition of the wall.

Flaming tanks

Earlier, two British tanks sent to the police station where the soldiers were being held, were set alight in clashes.

Crowds of angry protesters hurled petrol bombs and stones, injuring three servicemen and several civilians.

TV pictures showed soldiers in combat gear clambering from one of the flaming tanks and making their escape - three soldiers were reportedly injured.


British officials would not say if the two men were working undercover

In a statement, Defence Secretary John Reid said the soldiers who fled from the tanks were being treated for minor injuries.

Mr Reid added that he was not certain what had caused the disturbances.

"We remain committed to helping the Iraqi government for as long as they judge that a coalition presence is necessary to provide security," the statement said.

Tensions have been running high in the city since the arrest of a senior figure in the Shia Mehdi Army by UK troops.

But Colonel Tim Collins, the former commander of British troops in Iraq, described the Basra unrest as like a "busy night in Belfast".

Col Collins said it did not represent a breakdown of law and order in Basra, which was still a safer city than Baghdad.

so these british troops under arrest of the iraqi police end up in the hands of militia!! thats completely unacceptable. Their release was negotiated but the local basra police ignored the authorities in baghdad thats why they stormed the prison and found they weren't there. They were subsequently found in a house in the hands of militia (who had attacked the british troops earlier in the day) and rescued.

great, the iraqis clearly are still welcoming the coalition forces with open arms as the Bush fans like to think still aren't they

So because ONE local police station is working with the militants, that means they ALL are? This sort of thing has been going on from the start. That's why they have had such a hard time getting police and military forces built up. They show up for training, then desert and go work with the militants.

i saw the footage on my local news channel, the Brittisch tanks went in to free the 2 british soldiers, and man was there protest, people were stoning a guy climbing out of a burning tank. ..

When the news reporter then stated that the UK government had told the press that they had retrieved their soldiers by negotiation i was sure shoked..


i'lll see if i can find the footage on my local news's website (will be with dutch comments tho)

it is strange how everyone is jum ping on the ;car full of explosives' band wagon. As far as i can tell only a couple of unreliable websites have included this part of the report. Why has no western news agency picked up on this. You would think the French, Germans and Russians would have it their sites and would be having a field day with the news, but nothing!!!

Seems to me like people are trying to enhance the storey to put the brits in a bad light for their own political ends.

Why did the Uk troops dressed as iraqi civilians A.K.A Spies, fire at the police in the first place.

And if the police were resistance infilitrators as you say, then why did they fire back at what look like fellow iraqi resistance fighters.

And by the way

Two British armored vehicles come under attack, supposedly by followers of Muqtada Al Sadr.

It was actually just regular iraqi civilians. The followers of muqtada al sadr, the mehdi army dress in black uniform, it can clearly be seen, that those who where setting these vehicles alight, are dressed in civilian clothes.







[edit on 20-9-2005 by Syrian Sister]

Yeah, because we all know that the followers of al Sadr would NEVER change their clothes to look like regular civilians and cause more unrest between the troops and the civilians.

The civilians attacking the British vehicles were throwing rocks and petrol bombs. The militia would more likely have launched a few RPG's and sprayed them with machine-gun fire.
The Government probably had a "D" notice or two issued soon as these guys were picked up by the Iraqi police, all in the name of "national security", of course

no . they would never.

I THINK, it is CLEAR to everyone here, who is changing into civilian clothes in order to cause unrest.


Why would they have a uniform in the first place if they want to do that?

Wouldn't they just stay in civilian clothes all the time then? They want to fight honourably. Besides i may be wrong but i think the mehdi army pulled out of basra.

besides, the mehdi army are iraqies just like any other iraqies, i don't see what your point is here. They fight in the evening but in the morning they have to keep their day jobs and make a living too.

And just look at how many people there where. Iraqi civlilians.






Britguy said it best anyway.

The civilians attacking the British vehicles were throwing rocks and petrol bombs. The militia would more likely have launched a few RPG's and sprayed them with machine-gun fire.

[edit on 20-9-2005 by Syrian Sister]

also ss them pictures dont look like the middle of a riot to me the army vechiles are empty for a start!
dressed as locals to maybe move about a bit easier which i would imagine is very important to special forces which these guys are , some people need to stop with the brits and yanks are making this war up and the poor insurgants would never hurt there own people lol

My point was how EASY it would be for the militia to take advantage of this situation to set fire to the British vehicles, and attack the British troops, and cause MORE unrest between the civilians and the troops. The British troops get hurt by "civilians" so then they go out to look for the ones that did it, and retaliate on them, which makes the civilians more angry, etc. It's the perfect situation for the militia to use to their advantage. And all they would have to do it wear white clothes instead of black.

ryan25 and Z

Those pictures don't look like a middle of a riot to you?

look closer.





look, hundreds of people, crowds of them, throwing stones and molotov cocktails. Hmmm i think that's a riot by definition. WOuldn't you agree?


Don't you wonder why the burning british soldier was hit with rocks and not shot in the head?

because it wasn't the mehdi army, it was, as you call it "regular iraqi civilians".

Anyway what is the point of all this?

Why are you claiming that the iraqi resistance are changing their clothing into civilian clothes. You have no evidence of that.

The only evidence we have is that the british where changing clothes into civilian clothes.

Here you are saying "those canniving mehdi army, so evil, they changed into civilian outfits".

Where as it is clear you should be saying "those canniving british spies, so evil, changing into civilian outfits."

Why are you trying to mirror this onto the resistance, is it because you are ashamed?

here is a link to a BBC newsitem about it news.bbc.co.uk...


they just said on the news (on the radio) that the situation there is getting even more "edgy".

[edit on 20-9-2005 by XyZeR](spelling)

[edit on 20-9-2005 by XyZeR]

my bad sorry i hadnt seen those pics yet ss