Welcome to ASFN Fan Forums! We're glad to have you here. Please feel free to browse the forum. We'd like to invite you to join our community; doing so will enable you to view additional forums and post with our other members.
Registered Members don't see these ads. Register now it's free!
British Tanks Crash Through Basra Jail Walls, Freeing Two Captured Britons
// An Iraqi man waves a stick as a British soldier exits a burning tank during clashes in Basra, Iraq, 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad Monday Sept. 19 2005. British forces and demonstrators exchanged gunfire in the southern city of Basra on Monday after two British men were arrested for allegedly gunning down an Iraqi police officer authorities and witnesses said Monday.(AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)
By ABBAS FAYADH Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press
BASRA, Iraq Sep 19, 2005 — British forces using tanks broke down the walls of the central jail in the southern city of Basra late Monday and freed two Britons, allegedly undercover commandos, who had been arrested on charges of shooting two Iraqi policemen.
Witnesses said about 150 Iraqi prisoners also fled the jail.
Violence flared earlier in the day as demonstrators hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at British tanks; at least four people were killed.
The fighting erupted after British armor encircled the jail where the two Britons were being held. During the melee one soldier could be seen scrambling for his life from a burning tank and the rock-throwing mob.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Registered Members don't see these ads. Register now it's free!
See, I thought that Iraq was now a sovereign nation with its own government and the coalition forces were only there to provide support. Now, I'm scratching my head a little here because apparently the British have reverved the right to blow up Iraqui jails and free prisoners, if their own guys are behind bars.
See, I thought that Iraq was now a sovereign nation with its own government and the coalition forces were only there to provide support. Now, I'm scratching my head a little here because apparently the British have reverved the right to blow up Iraqui jails and free prisoners, if their own guys are behind bars.
Perhaps someone can enlighten me on this.
Enighten you as the news unfolds or just add to the specualtion by pointing out that there was already a riot taking place that lit up the tank?
June 2004 White House Press Briefing
Q What assurances can you give that what was transferred today was full and complete sovereignty? Are there any issues that the Iraqis might make a decision on that the U.S. would not accept?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Well, legal transfer of sovereignty happened just hours ago. The international media was there to witness the actual transfer of sovereignty. And that means, as the President has said, and others, they're calling the shots. There are issues in which the Iraqi -- the new sovereign Iraq government -- Iraqi government will have to work on with multinational forces. But that's the case in any country, whether it be Afghanistan or elsewhere, where there's a multinational force at the invitation of a sovereign government. But as far as control, it is in the control of the -- of the new Prime Minister and his new government.
Handover comes 2 days before date coalition had announced
Monday, June 28, 2004 Posted: 11:10 PM EDT (0310 GMT) BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq's interim government was sworn in Monday after the United States returned sovereignty to the nation two days ahead of schedule.
The official handover of sovereignty occurred at 10:26 a.m. (2:26 a.m. ET), when former coalition civil administrator L. Paul Bremer gave interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi a leather-bound transfer document.
Some Iraqis dismissed the event as meaningless as long as U.S. troops occupy the nation, but others said the handover was a step in the right direction. (Full story)
But if other Nations are destroying your public facilities at their own will, and not subjecting themselves to your authority, there is no sovreignty in reality.
Sovereignty
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme authority over a geographic region, group of people or oneself. Sovereignty over a nation is generally vested in a government or other political agency, though there are cases where it is held by an individual. A monarch who rules a sovereign country can also be referred to as the sovereign of that country. The concept of sovereignty also pertains to a government possessing full control over its own affairs within a territorial or geographical area or limit.
Its not an issue of fault. Unless the Iraqui government comes out and says, "we authorized the British to destroy our own jail", then I think I that this is an example of how Iraqui is not yet a sovreign nation, despite what our government is telling us.
Only if they suit his particular political philosophy.
No philosphy involved here. The definition of sovereignty is pretty cut and dry and would apply in other contexts as well. If you have armies from other nations roaming around your country at will, you're hard pressed to claim sovreignty. Do you disagree?
An Iraqi man waves a stick as a British soldier exits a burning tank during clashes in Basra, Iraq, 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad Monday Sept. 19 2005. British forces and demonstrators exchanged gunfire in the southern city of Basra on Monday after two British men were arrested for allegedly gunning down an Iraqi police officer authorities and witnesses said Monday.(AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)
The Associated Press 
Linear Mode
