NEWS: Iraq Issues Warrant To Arrest Two British Soldiers.

A warrant for the arrest of two British Troops has been issued by a judge in the Iraqi town of Basra. The warrant is in relation to the death of an Iraq Civilian and injuries inflicted on a police officer received in a confrontation within the town. British Forces spokeman Major Steve Melbourne stated that there was no legal basis for the warrant and the men were immune to prosecution under an arrangement between the coalition forces and the Iraq authorities.



Well if Kofi Annan can take back the diplomatic immunity of foreign embassy staff over white collar crime I guess the Iraqi's have the right to use the same moves.

I also guess the explanation the Iraqi's were given over the "mision" these men were on, was not satisfactory or sufficient to stop these legal moves being made.

Related News Links:
www.abc.net.au
www.truthout.org
www.guardian.co.uk
icwales.icnetwork.co.uk

[edit on 24-9-2005 by Mayet]

The Brits should have pulled out after the January elections.
They could have left on relatively good terms with Iraq but now they may have lost that chance. I think tensions are going to remain high until the British pull out.

Did the warrants name the soldiers? Once again, I see this as Basrah and not the nation of Iraq rattling swords.

The way I read it Iraqi police offers were detaining two British soldiers. The soldiers being opposed to this idea shot at the police officers killing one. After being detained they were busted out of jail by British forces. The way I see it the arrest warrant is valid and should be extended to those that broke the guys out of jail. There is no place for lawlessness no matter what side of the fence it happens on. Had this been British police trying to detain two insurgents which resulted in a British soldier getting killed and later the insurgents used force to bust the captured out of a military prison we'd be calling them terrorists for it.

I think there may be more to this issue then we are being told.

This is just speculation on my part but perhaps these undercover solders were trying to infiltrate the insurgents who the Iraqi government admitted had infiltrated to Police forces of Basarah to expose them. Now that the British have freed them those very same insurgents want to arrest them so they can shut them up thus protecting the insurgents that are within the Police Dept.

Rubaie admits insurgents infiltrated Iraq police

Not that it would do them much good now, since I am sure they have already spilled what they know to British and Us forces by now for sure.

Originally posted by jsobecky
Did the warrants name the soldiers? Once again, I see this as Basrah and not the nation of Iraq rattling swords.

Has the Iraqi Government got involved and removed the judges order?

an mod spokesman has said the warrants are illegal

Graham

Exactly how are those warrants illegal when they issued by a judge? Exactly how do you go abouts undercover in the middle east when you are blatantly 'white'...

Luxifero

Just for reference, there is an ATS discussion thread on this here
Iraq: Brit Soldiers Dressed As Arabs Captured
and also here
Brittish troops held in Iraq

I guess the Iraqi's have the right to use the same moves.

The soldiers in iraq do not have diplomatic immunity, rather the coalition and the Central Government have made a deal to let the coalition try their soldiers and citizens (actually I haven't seen such a deal specifically but its unthinkable that there isn't one). However, the Central Government is not the sole and supreme authority in Iraq. When there was a provisional authority and occupation, it was different, everything was run by the coalition, and then by an ad hoc iraqi government. Now, however, there is a public government, and it was never given supreme authority by the public. IOW, the districts and towns might not necessarily be under any obligation to listen to the Central Government on this matter, just like the states in the US are sovreign, but still under the Federal Government. Additionally, the fact that these guys were out of uniform is a complicating factor. A soldier out of uniform in enemy territory is de facto a spy, and has no protections. Its complicated like I say because the iraqi government isn't at war with the brits, they wern't in enemy territory, and according to some the operation was under the explicit/implicit approval of the Central Government.

Aceofbase
They could have left on relatively good terms with Iraq but now they may have lost that chance.

Who gives a damn about being on good terms? They were part of the group that invaded and destroyed the ruling government, they have to stay there until a new stable government is in place. You break it, you buy it, as they say.

Graham
an mod spokesman has said the warrants are illegal

Do you have a source handy? Also, since when is the Ministry of Defense part of the Free and Sovreign Iraqi Justice System????

luxifero
in the middle east when you are blatantly 'white'...

Obviously anlgos can operate undercover in the middle east.

Originally posted by Luxifero
Exactly how are those warrants illegal when they issued by a judge? Exactly how do you go abouts undercover in the middle east when you are blatantly 'white'...

Luxifero

You do know you get white people in the Middle East who are not British/American/something else?

Originally posted by Odium
Has the Iraqi Government got involved and removed the judges order?

I'm not sure if they have or not, but it would mean nothing to Basrah. The city of Basrah routinely ignores orders from Baghdad. They are increasingly under the control of Moqtada al-Sadr.

from LuxiferoExactly how are those warrants illegal when they issued by a judge? Exactly how do you go abouts undercover in the middle east when you are blatantly 'white'...

As Nygdan stated, the British and Iraqi gov'ts have a deal where they will turn over each other's captures.

from Graham
an mod spokesman has said the warrants are illegal

That's correct...

A JUDGE in the southern Iraqi city of Basra has issued an arrest warrant for two British soldiers.

The pair are wanted over the deaths of several Iraqis during Monday's clashes between British forces and Iraqi protesters, the judge said.

But a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence has said that a warrant would have no legal basis.

news.scotsman.com...

[edit on 25-9-2005 by jsobecky]