Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Prepare for horror and be nice to prisoners, says colonel

Terri Judd,Kuwait
Monday 17 March 2003 01:00 GMT
Comments

The commanding officer of the British Army's helicopter fighting force warned his men yesterday to prepare for the horror and pathos of war.

Lieutenant-Colonel George Butler also urged 3 Regiment Army Air Corps to remember their fight was not with the Iraqi people or soldiers but with the regime itself.

The colonel told the troops that they might be about to embark on the most momentous occasion of their lives, adding: "This is not an exercise; it is for real. You must prepare for the horror of war." He went on: "You [could] also witness the pathos of war if it is anything like the last time – scores of pathetic, malnourished soldiers coming out of the desert.

"We must treat the prisoners of war with dignity and humanity and make sure procedures are adhered to. The word will quickly go round that it is safe to give themselves up and that is what we want. We want the army to collapse and therefore bring down the regime as well," he said.

The 460 men and women of the regiment, part of the 16 Air Assault Brigade, gathered in the Kuwaiti desert at Camp Eagle, as helicopters trained in the skies above. Urging them to use their time wisely, the commanding officer said: "All of you at this stage will be feeling different emotions. Some of you will be feeling excitement, some of you will be feeling anxiety, and some of you will be feeling a little bit fearful.

"That is not necessarily a bad thing. It will hone your senses."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in