A former commanding officer in Northern Ireland has warned that British troops in Iraq are being picked off one by one.
London, Aug.10 : A former commanding officer in Northern Ireland has warned that British troops in Iraq are being "picked off one by one."
Patrick Mercer MP was quoted by the Daily Express as saying that troops' lives were being put at risk because of a lack of trained infantrymen and equipment, and warned that the situation could get a great deal worse.
Mercer, a former lieutenant-colonel of the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment, and until recently Tory Homeland Security spokesman,said that cutting troop levels in Basra would lead to more casualties in what he called a "vicious circle".
Mercer said that the Ministry of Defence's decision to axe six infantry battalions last year meant the Army was facing severe strain fighting in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Former British commander in Bosnia, Colonel Bob Stewart, said the withdrawal may have been rushed and that insurgents would give British forces "a good kicking" as forces were further wound down.
Both of them aired their views after it was stated that the overall British troop death toll in Iraq was 168.
"For God's sake, we need to arrest the process of winding down our Army. It's very worrying that the enemy is managing to pick our troops off one by one," Mercer said.
Some 5,500 British troops are currently based around Basra - down from nearly twice that figure a year ago. Numbers are expected to fall further this year as Britain readies to pull out of Iraq.
ANI