Citation

Kemp I. Jane's def. wkly. 2004; (NOV.).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Jane's Information Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

US Marine Corps (USMC) infantrymen of the 5th Marine Regiment practised co-operation with M1A1 main battle tanks of the 2nd Tank Battalion on 2 November in Iraq. The training was part of intensified preparations by the I Marine Expeditionary Force for operations against Iraqi insurgents in the Fallujah-Ramadi area. Over recent days, USMC and US Air Force aircraft, and USMC artillery units have bombarded suspected insurgent targets in the region. The British Army's Black Watch Battle Group lost three soldiers, an interpreter was killed and eight other soldiers wounded after a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device exploded on 3 November. They were the first fatal casualties since the unit deployed from the UK-led Multi-National Division (South East) area of operations in late October to the US-led Multi-National Force (West) to free US forces for operations in Fallujah. The casualties, the first UK soldiers to be killed by a suicide bomb attack, brought the number of UK service personnel killed in Iraq to 73. Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision to redeploy the unit from the UK area provoked controversy within the governing Labour party as backbenchers argued the move would place UK troops at greater risk. © 2005 Jane's Information Group. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Risk assessment; Guns (armament); Explosives; Personnel; Bombs (ordnance); Explosive devices; Insurgent targets; Military aircraft; Military operations; Targets; Vehicle-borne improvised explosives