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Autor: "h.habiger" (2003-06-30 08:30:21)
BRIT TROOPS SLAM YANKS
Army feud exposed by documentary
Brendan Mcginty Exclusive
A BRITISH Army Colonel has branded US Marines in Iraq as "idiots"
and "stupid".
The outburst, to be shown on a TV documentary tonight, will fuel the simmering
fued between the coalition forces.
Colonel Steve Cox, dubbed The Mayor of Umm Qasr, made the remarks after
learning US Marines had arrested three innocent Iraqi civilians.
The BBC programme Fighting the War shows Coxs anger as he speaks to the
camera.
The incident was over in seconds but sheds further light on the ill-feeling
between the two forces.
It has come to light after intense cotroversy over the deaths of
British soldiers in
friendly fire incidents and American complaints about the conduct of British
Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins.
The BBC followed Cox as he set up a British command centre in the
Iraqi port of
Umm Qasr in March.
On a trip to the towns harbour, controlled by the US Marines, he discovered
three prisoners he recognised after they requested help in the city.
The men had their hands bound.
But they were released and taken back to the city by Cox, the deputy
commander of British 3 Commando, and his men.
In his explanation for the cameras he said: "These nobbers here,
sorry these
Americans, the people came down here to look for help.
"Theyve tied them up in the room there.
"I think one is a guy whose daughter was hit by a US bomb the day before
yesterday and we have been trying to track down his daughter. These idiots
would keep him here all night. Stupid."
Cox, a highly rated and popular commander, made it a priority to win
the "hearts
and minds" of Iraqis.
The man who he had recognised was later reunited with his missing daughter.
There had been bad blood between the two armies before and the
incident gives
an insight into possible ill-feeling and mistrust between the two
sets of troops.
It reached new heights when complaints were made about the behaviour of
Collins by an American major.
The major accused Collins, 43, of breaching of the Geneva Convention.
But supporters of Collins have pointed to the British-US feud as a possible
reason for the complaint.
The document containing the complaint also highlighted anti-American feeling
among British troops.
There was also a friendly fire incident in which a British soldier
described the US
pilot who fired as behaving like a "cowboy".
Tonights programme also features Scottish Regiment the Black Watch
as they
come under enemy fire in Iraq.
It carries interviews with the regiments commanders and soldiers as
they are
fired upon as they carry out a supply mission