British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1964592005

BRITISH soldiers freed two comrades in a dramatic operation last night just hours after the men, believed to be with an undercover special forces unit, were arrested on charges of shooting two Iraqi policemen.

Witnesses and Iraqi officials claimed British troops backed by up to ten tanks smashed down the walls of the central jail in the southern city of Basra and freed the two men.

An Iraqi television cameraman who lives across the street from the jail said about 150 Iraqi prisoners also fled as British troops stormed inside and rescued their comrades.

Mohammed al-Waili, the governor of the province, described the British raid as "barbaric, savage and irresponsible".

"A British force of more than ten tanks backed by helicopters attacked the central jail and destroyed it. This is an irresponsible act," Mr al-Waili said, adding that the British force had spirited the prisoners away to an unknown location.

The Ministry of Defence was last night insisting that the release of the two soldiers had been secured through negotiation and not by force, although reports suggested damage had been caused to the jail. An MoD official said a wall had been demolished "by accident".

.......................

Officials denied the reports that its troops made a smash and grab raid to free their captured colleagues.

"We've heard nothing to suggest we stormed the prison," an MoD spokesman said. "We understand there were negotiations."

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Re: Britis troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

1. Break down wall.

2. Free troops.

3. Drive up to Iraqi HQ with a force of ten tanks.

4. Negoitiators say to officials, "Excuse me old chap, but do you mind if we take the boys now?"

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

Nickatilynx , Owner of Oprano , described the raid as "Sweeet!"

:)

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

spot on ;)

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

It could have been worse. They could have intruded on the soverignty of Iraq.

It could have been an American jail.

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

Im sure living in their jail was just as or even more barbaric than the raid. Go Brits!!!

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

Is it just me or are the Iraqi's that have been put in charge getting a bit uppity....

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

haha GO BRITS

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

Well done, lads!! There'll be kettles on by the time you reach Dover. :okthumb:

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

You'd think they ran their own country sometimes.

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

Now this is news worthy, way to go lads :okthumb:

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

from The Sun...

AN SAS squad stormed a rebel safe house last night to free two of their commandos facing execution.
Tanks smashed into the building in Basra, Iraq, and helicopter gunships hovered above as the rescue was launched.
Extremists had spirited the crack pair from a police cell where they were held after a shootout in which an Iraqi cop was killed.
The police station in Basra was stormed earlier by British troops hunting the SAS men — but they were not there.
During the attack up to 150 Iraqi prisoners also escaped.
An intelligence tip-off led the SAS rescue force to the nearby private building where their colleagues were being held.

The captives and rescuers are believed to be from the 22 Special Air Service Regiment based in Hereford.
Sources said last night the two rescued soldiers were “safe and well”.
A military spokesman in Basra told The Sun: “We were concerned about the safety of the two soldiers after repeated refusals by those holding them to obey the orders of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior to release them.
“Once we confirmed that the soldiers were no longer being held in police custody a further operation was mounted to rescue them.”
Top brass insisted the Army had acted legally throughout the operation.
Even the Ministry of Defence in London was kept in the dark as confusion reigned for hours over the fate of the captives.
The details of the operation were kept top secret until the troopers were safely back in base.
The unshaven SAS men were photographed in jail with their hands cuffed behind their backs.
Both had suffered head injuries.
Their T-shirts and trousers were stained with blood.
Governor of the province Mohammed alWaili denounced the British action as “irresponsible”.

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

SAS... :inlove:

*Please* tell me these guys do a yearly calendar!!! :yowsa:

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

No one knows who they are, that's not including the two that were shown on TV all beat up.

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

They are forever anonymous, fighting and going where eagles fear to tread .. I salute ever one of them

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

Wowzers. Real people from a Tom Clancy novel. :)

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

Hmph! :hmph:

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

OK...why did that get a "Hmph!" I read the Tom Clancy "Jack Ryan" series only, not the other stuff. In the book with the word "Rainbow" in the title, there is a secret group of "rescue" people that go into situations like that. The training they do constantly is described; the risks they take; the complete disregard for their own safety they display when the safety of others are at stake.

It was a compliment, crumpet. Genuinely. The SAS are actual people who live up to the standards set by a character in a novel.

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

They are books based on real people, not people out of books :)

Re: British troops smash Basra jail and breakout their buddies...
 

:blink:

Huh?