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Iraq judge seeks arrest of freed british soldiers

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   http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-09-24T085627Z_01_SCH432164_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ-BRITAIN-SOLDIERS.xml

http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-09-24T085627Z_01_SCH432164_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ-BRITAIN-SOLDIERS.xml

Iraq judge seeks arrest of freed British soldiers
Sat Sep 24, 2005 4:56 AM ET


By Abdel-Razzak Hameed

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - An Iraqi judge has issued arrest warrants for two British undercover soldiers who were freed after a controversial British raid in the city of Basra, an Iraqi lawyer said on Saturday.

Judge Raghib Hassan accused the men of killing an Iraqi policeman and wounding another, carrying unlicensed weapons and holding false identification, said Kassim al-Sabti, the head of the lawyers syndicate in the southern city.

Britain's Ministry of Defense said on Saturday the warrants had no legal basis.

"All British troops in Iraq come under the jurisdiction of Britain," a defense spokesman said in London.

The whereabouts of the two soldiers was not clear.

British forces mounted a bid to free the two soldiers on Monday, but were initially repelled as a crowd of angry Iraqis petrol-bombed an armored vehicle.

Later British forces returned and armored vehicles broke down the walls of the jail. The two soldiers were later freed from a private house nearby, where they were believed to be held by a local militia.

Basra authorities had said British troops killed two Iraqi police during the raid.

Monday's flare-up has harmed the relationship British forces were able to build with local Iraqis in and around Basra, a relatively stable city compared with other parts of Iraq.

Officials said Basra's governing council stopped all cooperation with the British until they apologize, guarantee that similar actions are not taken again and provide compensation for damage inflicted during the operation.

An investigation into the events leading up to the rescue is under way by Iraqi authorities and the British military.

"We will continue to work closely with the Iraqis and the inquiry which the Iraq government has begun into the events of Monday," the British defense spokesman said.

Britain's secretary of defense said he stood by the actions of the forces on the ground.

"They did what they judged was appropriate at the time and I commend them for the swift and decisive action in very difficult circumstances," John Reid said.

(Additional reporting by Matthew Jones in London)



2 british soldiers caught trying to plant explosives { September 20 2005 }
Basra crisis talks as tensions rise { September 21 2005 }
Basra jail after brits ap [jpg]
Basra seized [jpg]
Bbc article twists truth and blames insurgents { September 21 2005 }
British attack basra jail to free two
British commandos fired on iraqi police { September 19 2005 }
British destroy rogue basra police hq { November 2006 }
British free 76 iraqis from basra police head quarters { December 26 2006 }
British soldiers dressed like arabs fired on police patrol { September 19 2005 }
British special service pays insurgency in cash { August 28 2005 }
British special services men dressed as arab men
British tanks spring prisoners in iraq { September 19 2005 }
British vehicles cash into basra jail { September 19 2005 }
Brits abandon burning tank { August 2005 } [jpg]
Brits dressed as iraqis fire at police { September 20 2005 }
Brits equipment confiscated [jpg]
Brits planned explosions to blame on alsadr { September 22 2005 }
Brits to leave basra { February 21 2007 }
Captured brits footage still [jpg]
Confiscated from two british soldiers [jpg]
Confiscated from two british soldiers2 [jpg]
Friend or foe challenge in basra { September 21 2005 }
Insurgents turn out to be brits { August 2005 }
Iraq judge seeks arrest of freed british soldiers
Iraqi police arrested over sas kidnapping { November 2006 }
Iraqi police protest after british raid { August 2005 }
Iraqis blame brits for sectarian divisions
Iraq_burning_tank_cp_8477479 [jpg]
News clips of events in basra undercover brits { September 19 2005 }
Sas agents in brought in explosives from iran
Sas officers held in basra [jpg]
Soldiers in flames abandon burning tank
Two britons detained for firing at police
Undercover britons held after basra shootings { September 19 2005 }
Undercover brits captured in basra [jpg]
Undercover brits detained after shootout { September 20 2005 }
Violence after brit army assault freeing undercover brits { September 20 2005 }

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