Soldiers may refuse to serve over legal threat

Officers say troops will be scared to act and morale will suffer


Thursday July 21, 2005


The Guardian

British soldiers will refuse to serve in Iraq if they face the threat of being prosecuted for war crimes, serving and former service personnel warned last night. A number of non-commissioned officers who spoke to the Guardian on condition of anonymity - they are forbidden from talking to the press by Queen's Regulations - said they had been disgusted to learn that more fellow soldiers face prison as a result of their actions in Iraq.

One soldier, who served with the Irish Guards in Iraq during the conflict in 2003 and knows the three soldiers charged on Tuesday with war crimes, said: "It's going to put all the other lads in a horrible position. Everyone is going to be scared to do anything. If they get fired upon, they are going to be scared to fire back.

"Morale is going to hit rock bottom. The situation in Iraq is just going to turn into Northern Ireland. People are going to refuse to serve in Iraq or everyone is going to be asking to go on rear party or other duties."