The municipal government of a southern Iraqi city has suspended co-operation with British forces because of a video that appears to show British soldiers abusing Iraqi civilians.
The council in Basra announced its decision on Sunday, a week after a newspaper released the video and published photographs that seem to show British soldiers beating youths with batons in southern Iraq in 2004.
Another council in the area has made a similar move, which means British troops can expect little official co-operation in most of the parts of southern Iraq that they are supposed to monitor.
The Basra council was expected to send letters to the police service and other civic organizations Tuesday calling for them to stop working with British troops.
It has told its employees that they could lose their jobs if they work with the British.
However, Britain's Defence Secretary John Reid said less than .05 per cent of the nearly 100,000 British soldiers who have served in Iraq have been involved in "sustainable allegations of mistreatment of civilians."
"I insist we put it in proportion," he said.
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So let me get this straight. A handful of Brits do something stupid and you plan to stop working with the entire Division in your City? These people have no concept of progress. They are, officially, the armpit of society.
The council in Basra announced its decision on Sunday, a week after a newspaper released the video and published photographs that seem to show British soldiers beating youths with batons in southern Iraq in 2004.
Another council in the area has made a similar move, which means British troops can expect little official co-operation in most of the parts of southern Iraq that they are supposed to monitor.
The Basra council was expected to send letters to the police service and other civic organizations Tuesday calling for them to stop working with British troops.
It has told its employees that they could lose their jobs if they work with the British.
However, Britain's Defence Secretary John Reid said less than .05 per cent of the nearly 100,000 British soldiers who have served in Iraq have been involved in "sustainable allegations of mistreatment of civilians."
"I insist we put it in proportion," he said.
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So let me get this straight. A handful of Brits do something stupid and you plan to stop working with the entire Division in your City? These people have no concept of progress. They are, officially, the armpit of society.
