It’s a story of heroism, honour and camaraderie. The courage of the soldiers when facing a constant onslaught of attacks whilst in serving with the PWRR in Iraq, earning the unit a plethora of gallantry awards which included a Military Cross for Woody and a VC for Johnson Beharry.
Despite public outrage and the strong remarks by both Ben Wallace and the Home Secretary Sajid Javid, there is growing concern that Shamima Begum, the jihadi bride who ran away at 15 to join IS and who is now in a refugee camp in Syria, will be let back in to the UK with her new born baby. But this is nothing new, it is estimated that 400 of the 850 British citizens that went off to join the terror group, have already returned.
I spent over two years in Iraq in the aftermath of the invasion between 2005 and 2007, working for a private security company (PSC) that was providing security to the American, Department of Defence, during the reconstruction phase. But yesterdays publication of over 2 millions words just didn’t do it for me, so many unanswered … Read More
ISIS responsible for another Turkish kidnapping in Iraq? I’m not so sure that the Islamic extremist group is to blame this time. There’s alot more here than meets the eye. Turkey, like many other countries is used to having its nationals captured, but it has a far better record of getting them back. In 2013, … Read More
As Iraq is pushed closer to chaos by IS/ISIS forces, there is concern that Afghanistan – the other country invaded as a result of the policies undertaken after 9/11 – will follow, as troops from the NATO derivative ISAF, will be pulled out later this year. However before the Afghans can look at the scheduled pull … Read More
Iraq, three years after the withdrawal of Western Coalition forces is falling apart. Is it a straightforward result of Western intervention or is there more? Lets consider the wider context of Iraq, ISIS and the Sunni- Shia Split. As the ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) juggernaut gathers pace, it seems that the Iraq … Read More
I stood on the road earlier today and watched as a convoy of armoured vehicles rumble past me, Union Jacks flying high, in what seemed a triumphal parade. But the dust caked, tired faces of the men astride them told a different story, that of relief. The soldiers from the Light Infantry and Royal Welsh … Read More
The oil rich area of Southern Iraq is normally associated with arid desert. But a short drive from the bare infertile plains, which contain the huge oils fields, lies an incredible wetland ecosystem called the Iraqi Marshes. The area, supplied by its water from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, was originally 20,000 km2, but under … Read More
