Blair Attacks Iran As Basra Deaths Overshadow the Hostages' Return ; THE FREE AND THE FALLEN

Apr 06, 01:59 AM

Current Headlines: By Kim Sengupta

It was meant to be a day to celebrate the homecoming of the hostages from Iran. "Rejoice" said Tony Blair. But then came the dark shadow of Iraq, four British soldiers - two of them women - killed and another severely wounded in a roadside ambush in Basra.

The attack, in which a Kuwaiti interpreter was also killed, shattered whatever hopes had emerged of better relations with Iran following the release of the British prisoners.

The Prime Minister directly linked the Tehran regime to killings of British soldiers in Iraq, accusing it of "backing, financing, arming terrorism".

Senior UK military officers and diplomats have for months accused Iran of supplying Shia insurgents in Iraq with sophisticated explosive devices which have been used to kill and maim British and American soldiers. The Iranians have denied the claims and, in turn, accused "British agents" of carrying out bombings on its territory.

The co-ordinated attack in Basra came at just after 11 pm - around the same time the 15 marines and sailors were preparing to board their British Airways flight in Tehran, clutching presents given to them by the Iranian government.

Yesterday's killings brought the number killed in the past seven days to six. Kingsman Danny John Wilson, 28, of 2nd Battalion, the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, and Rifleman Aaron Lincoln, of the 2nd Battalion, The Rifles, were killed on Sunday and Monday by sniper fire. Their bodies were returned to RAF Lyneham yesterday around the same time the freed hostages were arriving in Britain.

As the hostages were attending a media photocall after landing at Heathrow, the details of the latest carnage in Basra began to emerge.

The British soldiers had been on patrol, looking, according to the Army, for weapons caches. Iraqi police officials, however, said the patrol had earlier detained a lieutenant in the Interior Ministry's major crimes unit, and was returning to its base when it was ambushed.

The two dead women were from the Intelligence Corps and Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps. The others killed were from the Royal Army Medical Corps and 2nd Battalion, the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.

The attack took place in the Hayaniyah district west of Basra. The patrol's Warrior armoured vehicle was hit by automatic rifle fire and rocket-propelled grenades. The main damage came from the roadside bomb which pulverised and set the vehicle on fire, causing the deaths.

Initial reports said the blast, which gouged a deep crater, had been caused by charges of the type Iranian Revolutionary Guards have allegedly supplied to Shia militias. Asked if army investigators would look into possible links between the attack and Iran, Capt Katie Brown, a spokesperson for UK forces in Basra, said: "I'm sure they would be interested to know where all the components came from."

In the immediate aftermath of the bombing, groups of Iraqis, whose democratic rights the Prime Minister said the British forces were protecting, were seen celebrating the deaths. One man held aloft a British military helmet while a child waved a piece of charred metal that was said to come from the wreckage, to the approval of those around him. Others waved and smiled.

The area where the ambush took place, Hayaniyah, is a stronghold of Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army, which is fighting against a rival Shia militia, the Badr Brigade. The Iranians, it is claimed, back both factions and have encouraged them to carry out attacks against British forces.

In London, Mr Blair said: "There are elements at least of the Iranian regime that [are] backing, financing, arming, supporting terrorism in Iraq and I repeat that our forces are there specifically at the request of the Iraqi government and with the full authority of the UN." He added that, while the dialogue with Tehran sparked by the capture of the naval personnel had opened up "new and interesting lines of communication", there was also a need to "reflect on our relationship with Iran".

The death toll of British personnel in Iraq since hostilities began now stands at 140. Of these, 109 have died in action.

This is the edited text of Tony Blair's statement: "Just as we rejoice at the return of our 15 service personnel, so we are also grieving for the loss of our soldiers in Basra, who were killed as the result of a terrorist act.

"So on the one hand we are glad that our service personnel returned safe and unharmed. But on the other we return to the sober and ugly reality of what is happening through terrorism in Iraq.

"It is far too early to say [this] particular act was committed by terrorists who were backed by any elements of the Iranian regime. But the general picture is there are elements at least of the Iranian regime that are backing, financing, arming, supporting terrorism in Iraq. This is the right moment to reflect on our relationship with Iran.

"Over the past two weeks, we have pursued a dual-track strategy - being open to bilateral dialogue with the Iranian regime but at the same time mobilising international support. That has got to continue to be our strategy in dealing with Iran.

"However, the international community has got to remain steadfast in enforcing its will, whether it is in respect of nuclear weapons or in respect of the support of any part of the Iranian regime for terrorism.

"The choice in a sense is a choice that has to be made by Iran because the possibility of a different relationship with the international community is there. But it has to be based on proper support for the will of that community.

"The choice in the end is one Iran will have to make.

"Once again, let me repeat my profound sympathy for the families of the soldiers who have lost their lives. They are very brave and committed people who are doing such vital and important work out there."

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