The Purge Begins: Basra

Many predicted that as the British retreated from Basra that the area would slip further into chaos. Now we find out that, that is exactly what is happening as Iraqi interpreters working for the British Army have been advised to leave Basra or be killed. And who is issuing this warning? Colonel Saleem Agaa Alzabon, who leads Basra’s special forces: Via Times Online: Hat tip Mike of Monkey Tennis Centre:

The Story:

Martin Fletcher in Baghdad

Iraqi interpreters working for the British Army have been advised to leave Basra or be killed.

The warning was issued by a leading member of the city’s security forces after militiamen attacked and destroyed the home of one interpreter and narrowly failed to kidnap another. There were unconfirmed reports yesterday that a third had been killed.

“All the interpreters have to leave Basra because these militia will never let them rest. They will kill everybody they know [who worked for the British],” Colonel Saleem Agaa Alzabon, who leads Basra’s special forces, said. “The interpreters have to leave. They have no choice.”

Colonel Saleem and the two targeted interpreters told The Times that the militiamen – almost certainly members of the Shia al-Mahdi Army – had stepped up their pursuit of so-called collaborators since the British withdrew from Basra city 11 days ago. The latest attacks are further evidence of the extreme danger that the 91 interpreters for the British military face now, let alone when the troops leave Iraq for good. They will intensify the pressure on Britain to reverse its refusal to grant them asylum. Gordon Brown ordered a review of that policy after The Times highlighted the interpreters’ plight last month.

The target of the first attack was Ahmed, 25, a student who has been working for the British Army for three years, first in a base in the Shatt al-Arab hotel and now at the al-Shaibah base outside Basra, where the Irish Guards are training Iraqi
troops.
(Read More)

Despite senior politicians, diplomats and army officers having urged the British Government to grant the interpreters asylum Ahmed and the other 90 interpretors wait on word what the British will do help them. And the ministers debate upon the best course of action.

This is the same course of action the Democrats want us to take in the rest of Iraq, and we can see how well its working in Basra. Could you imagine the anarchy on a grand scale that a full withdrawl would allow?

So while the British debate upon the best course of action and the Democrats in Congress demand an immediate withdrawl, we have proof of a valid course of action in the surge. The Surge tactics that the US are using works and in retropect the British shoudl immediately recind the retreat order and demand that the troops return. They have a moral obligation to the defensless to do so.

Anything less is murder by proxy, something that the Democrats in Congress seem more than willing to commit.

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A grab bag of stuff I liked - Slated for significant expansion over the weekend. from Pros and Cons