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April 09, 2003
Wednesday
 
 
Start as you mean to go on
David Carr (London)  Middle East & Islamic
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Since I usually make a point of balancing jubilation with caution, and being somewhat cynical by nature, I cannot resist the temptation of drawing attention to the depressing synchronicity between British anti-gun phobia as it is practised at home and British anti-gun phobia as it is about to be practised in Iraq:

Residents are being urged to dump their guns in an "amnesty pit" close to one British military compounds.

"Iraq has a culture of weapons. There are a lot of them around, most held quite legally," said Captain Cliff Dare, of 3 Commando Brigade Engineer Group.

"If we want to give the new Iraq a chance these weapons have to be taken out of circulation."

I concede that the very real risk of people taking pot-shots at British troops does cast a different light on the situation but I do hope Iraqis don't finish up going to prison just for defending themselves.

And, as an aside, 'Captain Cliff Dare'! Is that a comic-book action hero name or what?

Comments

And by what right do they impose UK political practices on the Iraqis when they promised the Iraqis would be free to institute their own civilian structures? Haven't they overstepped their bounds more than a wee bit?


Posted by MommaBear at April 9, 2003 11:57 PM

I assume the good Captian will practice what he preaches to the poor Iraqis on his return to Britian when he is finally discharged from HM Army.


Posted by Shaun Bourke at April 10, 2003 12:31 AM

Utterly feeble. The Iraqi people need to be ARMED, not disarmed.

Right now, the only ones with guns (other than the Brits and Yanks) are the terrorists and other malcontents. I bet if there was a gun in EVERY Iraqi household there'd have been fewer executions of dissidents.

'We trust you to run your own country."

"But we don't trust you to own guns."

Nice.


Posted by Kim du Toit at April 10, 2003 12:39 AM

If Britain were surrounded by Iran, Turkey and Syria, he'd be handing out the ammo.


Posted by Sandy P. at April 10, 2003 01:32 AM

Don't try to make Basra look like Manchester because well, Basra will end up looking like Manchester. (Yes, I've been to Manchester.)


Posted by Fred Boness at April 10, 2003 02:11 AM

Unfortunately, the US side is asking people to turn in their weapons in Baghdad, as well. Heard it on radio news this morning.


Posted by S. Weasel at April 10, 2003 12:29 PM

We tried to warn you about your Big Government war....

I hear Iraq is also going to get nationalized health care.


Posted by Scott Cattanach at April 10, 2003 12:54 PM