British top brass say US generals in Iraq like 'Martians'
Published: 23 November, 2009, 17:43
Edited: 24 November, 2009, 22:52
TAGS: Arms, Conflict, Military, UK, Middle East, Politics, USA
Top British commanders in Iraq claim talking to their American counterparts felt like talking to 'a group of Martians'. The Daily Telegraph reports, the allies didn’t have equal rights in so-called joint operation.
The war in Iraq was presented as a British-American operation but in reality it was nothing of this sort, claims reporter Andrew Gilligan, who broke the story, citing leaked government documents.
“It was a completely American show. The British had absolutely no influence at all,” Gilligan told RT.
Gilligan also revealed that during the early stages of preparing for the operations, the British spotted structural weakness in the US plan. There was no post-war plan.
“But they had no influence to change that and that led to a chaos when the war was over,” Gilligan said.
Andrew Gilligan also reported on serious blunders in the British operation, claiming it was ill-prepared. The reason was that it was rushed and kept secret, he said.
“The reason why it was rushed in Britain was that the British government didn’t feel able to be frank with the British people about what it was doing,” Gilligan said. ”But to plan properly you need to tell the people, you need to consult the experts, you need to order extra-equipment from the factories. They couldn’t do any of this because they kept the whole thing secret.”
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5 comments
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Of course it is 'an American show' - it always has been and always will be. Here in the UK we joined the US operation willingly following 9/11, showing our commitmen to the US people and to NATO. However over the years (and having seen no real mission and the various 'conspiracy theories' regarding 9/11) support in the UK is waneing. We have seen the 'mayor of kabul' steal the election, the british death count rising, and the countless millions of £ that our country can no longer afford (we are nor being bankrolled by China and Saudi Arabia like the US is) all increasing without end in sight - or even a clear reason for being there - except perhaps to preseve a route for an oil pipeline and contain Iran. The British know that they should get out, and get out soon, but are honour bound by their so called special relationship with the US. So despite being 'bossed around' by the US, having no real mission other to support the US interests in the region, and not being able to afford to stay there, stay there we will - we are trapped by a code of honour and promises to an old friend who seems to regard us and our efforts as little more than a side show.
I am not sure about Martians, but one thing is for certain they aren't humans. Wouldn't they be wearing orange suits if they were Martians, oh no that's the ones they are torturing. But then again maybe they are dressing them up to look like themselves. Annon, Don't try the we were just following line, that is the one being taken in the current whitewash enquiry, which is just an enquiry to construct a PR story to say it wasn't your fault, the classic rewrite of history. The British were the whole instigators of the regime change plot, just like they are doing in Iran and the Caucusus right now. The British hatched the plot, then manufactured the evidence that the US were 'manipulated' willingly with, to lie before the UN. The trouble is, its all got a bit smelly and the world knows that the whole stunt was a horrendous war crime, the Brits don't like to be found out, so now they try to pin it on the over zealous yanks, but surpprise, surprise the world is not so gullable. We know the Brits like other European based US puppies were right up there with illegal invasion, torture and rape. The people of Iraq have been devastated, all for the control of oil and to thwart Russian oil contracts. The Bush and Blair purges in Iraq have murdered over a million people, they have displaced millions more, and difigured and ruined tens of millions more again. There is no PR happy ending for Britain in this. Their only chance of salvation is for them to put the war criminals on trial and to show the devastation caused to their own people on another sovereign state. This isn't about getting out, its about the war criminals getting inside.