Iraq
October 19, 2004

British soldiers are expected to move northwards from Basra to Baghdad in the next few days. Photo: Nabil Al-Jurani/AP

Triangle of Death that awaits British troops
From James Hider in Yusufiyah

BRITISH troops earmarked for service in central Iraq are heading for an area called the Triangle of Death by US forces who are struggling to impose order amid daily gunbattles with insurgents(Editor: things are just rosy in old Iraq in the lovely Triangle of death!!!.)
Yesterday the US Marines who are expected to be replaced by the Black Watch repeatedly came under heavy attack from militants. At least a dozen times, the cry of “incoming” went up as mortar rounds whizzed overhead.

The region south of Baghdad, once best known as the site of the ancient city of Babylon, is now notorious for kidnappings, assassinations and beheadings.

Security officials believe that it was in Latifiyah, one of the most feared tribal towns in this region, that Kenneth Bigley was beheaded. Two French journalists disappeared in the same area.

Marine intelligence officers say that Latifiyah is also a well-known dumping ground for bodies as well as a key transit point for guerrilla weapons being shipped from Baghdad to the rebel stronghold of Fallujah 30 miles to the west.

In spite of the dangers, lead elements of a British battle group of 900 soldiers could be heading to the area within days, if the Cabinet approves the Bush Administration’s request for the reinforcements on Thursday.

Yesterday the Government faced angry opposition to the move with some MPs suggesting that it was aimed at helping President Bush with his re-election on November 2. Dennis Skinner, the Labour MP, said that a deployment before the election would be “handing out an oxygen cylinder to President Bush”.

The rest is at:
Times Online