Hoping to restore some degree of order to the southern city of Basra, British troops Thursday asked residents to turn in their guns no questions asked.
''If we want to give the new Iraq a chance, these weapons have to be taken out of circulation,'' said Capt. Cliff Dare of 3 Commando Brigade Engineer Group.
Um, yeah, right Sure.
Why don't you just fucking SHOOT the looters like you did those
Bank Robbers, you numbnut brits?
http://www.washtimes.com/world/20030412-2433256.htm
British kill five looters in Basra
Paul Martin
THE WASHINGTON TIMES Published April 12, 2003
KUWAIT CITY — British forces in Basra fatally shot five looters as they tried to rob a bank, an action that has helped reduce the wave of looting since the city fell less than a week ago.
The bank robbers had first opened fire on a patrol from the Royal
Scots Dragoon Guards close to the now stripped-bare Sheraton Hotel, wounding one of the guardsmen, a British forces spokesman said.
"We returned fire, killed five and arrested the rest," said Lt. Simon Hill, who is himself a Dragoon guardsman.
He denied that the aim of the encounter had been to teach looters a lesson.
"This action was within our rules of engagement," he said. "We do not shoot unless attacked. We do not wish to replace one repressive regime with another."
But he added: "This was not an attempt to convey a message. If it is a byproduct of that, so be it."
Since capturing the city after more than two weeks of pressure that included psychological warfare and in-and-out raids plus bombing, the British were among the first coalition troops to face the wave of looting that has since swept other cities where Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's forces have been driven out.
Air Marshal Brian Burridge, the most senior British officer in the coalition, explained the policy has allowed the locals to "let off steam," but also made it clear that the situation will be brought under control quickly.
British forces, numbering only 2,000 troops in a city of 1.3 million people, have begun switching some of their combat troops to policing duties.
But their main aim is to piece together some form of police force by coaxing former policemen to come out of hiding and start work again.
Most of the Iraqi police appear too afraid of potential revenge or being seen as lackeys of the ousted regime.
The British are also trying to assemble a local leadership council, but it is slow going.
"We've got to get the local people to take some responsibility for themselves," Col. Chris Vernon told The Washington Times after visiting the city. "We've got to resuscitate the local police forces where we can find them."
The colonel pointed out that British forces had already quelled virtually all unrest in the nearby city of Al Zubayr, population 250,000, which he said had been "pretty lawless" when first captured 10 days ago.
He acknowledged that the British forces in Basra, like the Americans in other parts, had "missed a few tricks" by not focusing sufficiently on protecting hospitals.
