| Home
Classified documents reveal hostility between Brit, US commanders
North America News.Net
Monday 23rd November, 2009 (ANI)
London, Nov.23 : A deep hostility prevailed between British and American military commanders in Iraq, classified government documents leaked to the Daily Telegraph, have revealed.
In the papers, the British chief of staff in Iraq, Colonel J.K.Tanner, described his US military counterparts as "a group of Martians" for whom "dialogue is alien," saying: "Despite our so-called 'special relationship,' I reckon we were treated no differently to the Portuguese."
The top British commander in the country, Major General Andrew Stewart, told how he spent "a significant amount of my time" "evading" and "refusing" orders from his US superiors.
At least once, say the documents, General Stewart's refusal to obey an order resulted in Britain's ambassador to Washington, Sir David Manning, being summoned to the State Department for a diplomatic reprimand - of the kind more often delivered to "rogue states" such as Zimbabwe or the Sudan.
The frank statements were made in official interviews conducted by the Ministry of Defence with Army commanders who had just returned from Operations Telic 2 and 3 - the first, crucial year of "peacekeeping" operations in Iraq, from May 2003 to May 2004.
A set of classified transcripts of the interviews, along with "post-operational reports" by British commanders, has been leaked to the Daily Telegraph.
The disclosures come the day before the Chilcot inquiry is due to begin public hearings into Britain's involvement in Iraq. Among the issues it will investigate is the UK-US relationship.  Email this story to a friend
Have your say on this story
|
 |
 |
- Obama names Hillary Clinton authority for India n-deal
President Barack Obama has delegated his authority to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to send mandatory certifications regarding the landmark India-US civil nuclear deal to the US Congress after every six months. [read story]
- Obama names Clinton as certification authority of Indo-U.S. civilian nuclear deal
United States President Barack Obama has appointed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as the new certification authority to verify the Indo-U.S. civilian nuclear agreement after every six months. [read story]
- US unconvinced over Pak Army's U-turn against Taliban commanders: Expert
Pakistan has been claiming huge success against the Taliban by capturing several key militant leaders, including Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Afghan Taliban's second-in command, however the United States is far from convinced that the arrests mark a change in the Pakistan Army's policies. [read story]
- "Double burial" was practiced for 4,500 years in ancient Mexico
The first known evidence of "double burials" has revealed that ancient people in what is now Mexico, routinely dug up decomposing bodies and took off their arms, legs, and heads, then reburied the bodies, for about 4,500 years. [read story]
- After Indians, now Canadian assaulted in Australia
After a recent spate of attacks on Indian students in Australia, it was the turn of a wheelchair-bound Canadian man who was beaten by Australian teenagers in Sydney Tuesday, reports here said. [read story]
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
