BoyElroy
02-22-2006, 10:42 PM
Agence France Presse -- English
February 22, 2006 Wednesday 5:29 AM GMT
HEADLINE: British troops take to sky to avoid roadside killer
DATELINE: BASRA, Iraq, Feb 22 2006
A British military helicopter swoops down from the sky, landing in the middle of a road in the desert near Basra, Iraq's second largest city, forcing an approaching car to screech to a halt.
To the dismay of the driver, a group of heavily armed British soldiers quickly disembark and surround the car.
"Your licence please and open the back of your car," shouts Drum Major Ian McLardie, of the Chindit Company, 1st battalion of Kings Own Royal Border Regiment.
As he stands facing the car, one of his men checks the driver's identity and starts a complete search of the car. The soldiers take up positions on both sides of the road to monitor approaching vehicles as the helicopter takes off.
The military's preference for helicopter patrols is a response to the ever present threat posed by the number one killer of coalition forces in Iraq -- roadside bombs.
"This is a quicker and easier way of patrol on these vast stretches of roads as we hunt for insurgents," says McLardie, the patrol leader.
"We select vehicles randomly as the idea is to surprise and take control quickly. We are looking for insurgents, suicide bombers, or plain criminals and the best way is to just drop down and catch them by surprise as nobody knows where we will drop."
A few minutes later the car and another vehicle stopped are allowed to go. "They are clean," the soldier tells McLardie.
The British military started these helicopter patrols four months ago in southern Iraq as part of their surveillance techniques to hunt for insurgents and rein in smuggling along desert roads.
The air patrols have not resulted in any major successes, with just one arrest so far, but they are seen as a useful surveillance technique.
"Our presence has led to an overall impact as it offers a strong surprise element," McLardie said as he ordered the helicopter to land again and take the men to the next swoop.
A number of people with forged vehicle documents, double number plates for vehicles and forged licences have been reported to the police by the troops during such searches.
The chopper moves over to the north-east side of Basra where it lands on a different stretch of road.
"Guys, pull this one straight away," shouts McLardie as the helicopter lands again in the middle of a road in front of an approaching truck.
"There is only sand in my truck and nothing else," says a visibly stunned Murtadha Jassim Joda, as he stops his truck a few meters away from the chopper.
"A lot of rain water has collected at the door-step of my house and I need this sand to cover it up. All my papers are in order, you can check," he says to the soldier who asks for his vehicle documents.
The British military has lost 101 troops in Iraq since the US-led invasion in March 2003.
According to Major Peter Cripps, spokesman for the British military in Iraq, 14 of the 42 British deaths in Iraq between June 2004 to January 2005, were due to roadside bombs. Since then most casualties have been the result of such explosions.
"We operate these patrols as they are easier than vehicle or foot patrols which take a lot of time and involve more risk to our troops," said Lieutenant Sarah Hadley, a member of the team.
But Cripps stresses that helicopters are used largely for their surprise element. "Surprise is the role of the helicopter rather than specifically the avoidance of roadside bombs," he said.
Cripps said helicopters were also used by the military in other operations in the past "for example in Northern Ireland where the threat from roadside bombs was substantially lower."
But roadside bombs have struck fear in the hearts of the troops.
For Corporal Jason South of the 9/12 Lances, Reconnaissance Regiment, a veteran of the 1991 Gulf War, the present situation in Iraq is vastly different from what it was 14 years ago when he drove tanks on the roads.
"This is dangerous. You can't see a road bomb until you are on top of it and when you see it, it is too late," South, 37, said as his vehicle criss-crosses the desert terrain outside Basra after visiting an Iraqi Army base.
"It is amazing how fast they (insurgents) have learned. There is no doubt that they have outside help."
South says the troops regularly take the cross country routes as planting a bomb on the desert terrain is still a difficult task for militants.
"We don't take risks, so travelling cross country is good as they do not know how exactly we will be moving ... we can drive through from anywhere in the desert and triggering a bomb in such circumstances is difficult," he said.
"To some extent, we are better placed as we have desert sand, but the US troops in Baghdad have no choice but to use roads and face these bombs."
LOAD-DATE: February 22, 2006
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February 22, 2006 Wednesday 5:29 AM GMT
HEADLINE: British troops take to sky to avoid roadside killer
DATELINE: BASRA, Iraq, Feb 22 2006
A British military helicopter swoops down from the sky, landing in the middle of a road in the desert near Basra, Iraq's second largest city, forcing an approaching car to screech to a halt.
To the dismay of the driver, a group of heavily armed British soldiers quickly disembark and surround the car.
"Your licence please and open the back of your car," shouts Drum Major Ian McLardie, of the Chindit Company, 1st battalion of Kings Own Royal Border Regiment.
As he stands facing the car, one of his men checks the driver's identity and starts a complete search of the car. The soldiers take up positions on both sides of the road to monitor approaching vehicles as the helicopter takes off.
The military's preference for helicopter patrols is a response to the ever present threat posed by the number one killer of coalition forces in Iraq -- roadside bombs.
"This is a quicker and easier way of patrol on these vast stretches of roads as we hunt for insurgents," says McLardie, the patrol leader.
"We select vehicles randomly as the idea is to surprise and take control quickly. We are looking for insurgents, suicide bombers, or plain criminals and the best way is to just drop down and catch them by surprise as nobody knows where we will drop."
A few minutes later the car and another vehicle stopped are allowed to go. "They are clean," the soldier tells McLardie.
The British military started these helicopter patrols four months ago in southern Iraq as part of their surveillance techniques to hunt for insurgents and rein in smuggling along desert roads.
The air patrols have not resulted in any major successes, with just one arrest so far, but they are seen as a useful surveillance technique.
"Our presence has led to an overall impact as it offers a strong surprise element," McLardie said as he ordered the helicopter to land again and take the men to the next swoop.
A number of people with forged vehicle documents, double number plates for vehicles and forged licences have been reported to the police by the troops during such searches.
The chopper moves over to the north-east side of Basra where it lands on a different stretch of road.
"Guys, pull this one straight away," shouts McLardie as the helicopter lands again in the middle of a road in front of an approaching truck.
"There is only sand in my truck and nothing else," says a visibly stunned Murtadha Jassim Joda, as he stops his truck a few meters away from the chopper.
"A lot of rain water has collected at the door-step of my house and I need this sand to cover it up. All my papers are in order, you can check," he says to the soldier who asks for his vehicle documents.
The British military has lost 101 troops in Iraq since the US-led invasion in March 2003.
According to Major Peter Cripps, spokesman for the British military in Iraq, 14 of the 42 British deaths in Iraq between June 2004 to January 2005, were due to roadside bombs. Since then most casualties have been the result of such explosions.
"We operate these patrols as they are easier than vehicle or foot patrols which take a lot of time and involve more risk to our troops," said Lieutenant Sarah Hadley, a member of the team.
But Cripps stresses that helicopters are used largely for their surprise element. "Surprise is the role of the helicopter rather than specifically the avoidance of roadside bombs," he said.
Cripps said helicopters were also used by the military in other operations in the past "for example in Northern Ireland where the threat from roadside bombs was substantially lower."
But roadside bombs have struck fear in the hearts of the troops.
For Corporal Jason South of the 9/12 Lances, Reconnaissance Regiment, a veteran of the 1991 Gulf War, the present situation in Iraq is vastly different from what it was 14 years ago when he drove tanks on the roads.
"This is dangerous. You can't see a road bomb until you are on top of it and when you see it, it is too late," South, 37, said as his vehicle criss-crosses the desert terrain outside Basra after visiting an Iraqi Army base.
"It is amazing how fast they (insurgents) have learned. There is no doubt that they have outside help."
South says the troops regularly take the cross country routes as planting a bomb on the desert terrain is still a difficult task for militants.
"We don't take risks, so travelling cross country is good as they do not know how exactly we will be moving ... we can drive through from anywhere in the desert and triggering a bomb in such circumstances is difficult," he said.
"To some extent, we are better placed as we have desert sand, but the US troops in Baghdad have no choice but to use roads and face these bombs."
LOAD-DATE: February 22, 2006
Prev