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thedrifter
09-09-03, 02:53 PM
ROYAL MARINES ON STANDBY FOR RETURN TO THE MIDDLE EAST

BY CHRIS MILLS

12:00 - 09 September 2003

Devon-based Royal Marines have been put on standby for a possible return to Iraq if Tony Blair decides to send even more troops. Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon announced the dispatch yesterday of a thousand new troops, including the 1st Battalion of the Royal Green Jackets from the UK and other units from Cyprus.

The 42 Commando of the Royal Marines, based at Bickleigh Barracks outside Plymouth, has also been redesignated to replace the Royal Green Jackets as the 'Spearhead Land Element' - meaning they will have to be at high readiness to move to Iraq or any other troublespot in the world.

An MoD spokeswoman said: "Being the Spearhead Land Element means they are the next military unit ready to be deployed from the UK to wherever required at short notice."

All of the Marines in the unit gained their green berets at the Lympstone Commando Training Centre outside Exeter and many only returned from Iraq in May.

After arriving in Kuwait during February, 42 Commando led the battle to secure Iraq's second city Basra after securing vital oil fields in the first days of the war.

Meanwhile, city MP Ben Bradshaw has questioned the validity of an opinion poll conducted by Exeter Stop the War Coalition claiming 79 per cent of local people want British troops to pull out of Iraq and 81 per cent believe now the war was not justified. The coalition invited 220 shoppers in the city centre on Saturday to vote in its ballot.

Spokeswoman Lizi Allnatt said: "Nearly six months after the war officially ended our poll shows that even many people who supported the war at the time now question whether it was justified. Our poll shows that people in Exeter don't believe the UK Government and want British troops to be brought home."

But Mr Bradshaw said: "All properly conducted scientific polls in this country and Iraq show the majority of people support the removal of Saddam Hussein. It would be irresponsible, having liberated the Iraqi people, now to abandon them.

"I don't want British or any other international forces to remain in Iraq longer than necessary, but Iraqis still need help to spread security, rebuild their country after 20 years of dictatorship and establish democracy."

http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=101955&command=displayContent&sourceNode=99871&contentPK=6975039

Sempers,

Roger
:marine: