Guardian Wed 26 >>Two Britons killed on Monday when their armoured car was targeted by a rocket grenade near coalition headquarters were yesterday named by the Foreign Office as Bob Morgan, 63, and Mark Carman, 38. Morgan was an FO-funded adviser and had been seconded to work with the Coalition Provisional Authority on the reconstruction of the Iraqi oil sector. Carman, a former soldier, worked for Control Risks Group, a private contractor that provides security and risk assessments. The company said he had been working for a team providing security to the Foreign Office. A third British civilian was understood to have been injured in the blast. <<
Apart from the fact that British authorities decided to be more open than I had expected, perhaps to diffuse the potential of this story, the details are as I supposed. In terms of a guerrilla war, if you consider a guerrilla war a lawful and honourable response to an invasion of your country not approved by the United Nations, (a matter on which opinion may be divided) this appears to have been a very effective and audacious attack. One which the British authorities will have to take very seriously in terms of any countermeasures. I cannot imagine they have any effective answers as the intelligence of the insurgency if anything is likely to improve relative to the intelligence available to the British authorities. Chris Burford ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Burford" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2004 12:12 AM Subject: [PEN-L] Quality of Iraqi intelligence > This evening BBC tv carried reports of two British civilians killed by > an rpg in a car just as it was about to enter the "Green Zone" in > Baghdad which is the centre of coalition forces. > > One of the reports said it was partially armoured. But the individuals > were civilians. No other explanation was given of their identity. It > was described as audacious. The use of a single rpg in the centre of > Baghdad just a short distance away from US troops. > A US soldier suggested it looked a targeted job. > > And there are not many British deaths in Iraq, and still less in > Baghdad. > > To my mind this suggests that the targets could well have been key > figures in British security. > > I suspect we will hear little more of the identity of the victims, but > I could be wrong. Besides if the attack was that audacious, why waste > it on a couple of clergymen from the Church of England? > > Tonight the BBC website says > "The Foreign Office later confirmed that one of the Britons who died > was working for international business risk consultancy Control Risks > Group." > It notes > "Since July 2003 12 [only!]British civilians have been killed in Iraq, > the Foreign Office said. On Tuesday security worker Andrew Harries, > 33, from south Wales, was shot when a gunman ambushed his car. " > > We know that the resistance is well planned. The key document on the > strategy for the resistance dated January 2003 was attributed to Iraqi > security sources. There may be many thousands of them still in the > country, highly motivated to bring down the present regime. They will > know how to mingle with the crowd, and to take advantage of > relationships among Iraqis. They have learned how the coalition allies > work. > > In the coming months their intelligence is likely to get better. That > of the hegemonic power, worse. > > Another factor in the shifting balance of forces. > > Chris Burford > > PS the website of Control Risks Group I see from Google claims about > Iraq > > "We are currently providing project security management services in > Iraq for a number of government departments, companies and NGOs, and > have security managers permanently deployed in Iraq for these clients. > Our office has been set up to co-ordinate these activities and provide > on-the-ground advice." > > "Control Risks Group has established a project office in Iraq to > assist organisations operating or planning to operate in the country. > Its presence means that we are well placed to provide accurate, > up-to-date information on the situation in-country and are available > to help clients to understand the uncertainties and volatility that > affect activities in the region, to mitigate the risks involved and to > successfully manage the security of their assets and staff." > > BBC website again "Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the deaths were > shocking and showed the risks civilians had to take in Iraq. " - and > the British government it would appear. > > This may be just a taster for what will intensify after June 30. >
