The Hindu : Mood depressed in England

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 23, 2003

International

International

Mood depressed in England

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON MARCH 22. As `live' TV images of the massive air bombardment of Baghadad brought the horror of war into the living rooms and six more British soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash today, the initial impact of Prime Minister Tony Blair's call for unity appeared to be dwindling with thousands of people pouring into Central London for an anti-war protest.

Peace activists also targeted the U.S. military bases in Gloucestershire and Yorkshire and, much to the Government's embarrassment, a senior aide to the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, resigned questioning the legality of the war. The resignation of Elizabeth Wilmhurst, who had been a legal adviser to the foreign office for many years, raised fresh questions about the legitimacy of the war and was likely to be seized by anti-war MPs to demand publication of the Attorney-General, Lord Goldsmith's opinion on the issue. The national mood was depressed as British casualties rose to 14 after six soldiers died in another helicopter `accident' barely hours after eight were killed on the first day of the war. Amid mounting concern over the safety of British troops and civilian lives in Iraq, Defence Secretary, Geoff Hoon, again stressed the `risks' involved in any war but insisted that "enormous efforts'' were being made to minimise the casualties.

He protested when the Labour MP and former film actor Glenda Jackson said that so many young lives had been "needlessly lost''. He said they were engaged in important operations when they were killed, and their families "would be proud of what they have achieved.''

Mr. Hoon dismissed Iraqi claims that over 200 civilians had been hit, and said these must be treated with scepticism. He justified the heavy bombardment of Baghdad in the "shock and awe'' campaign saying it was aimed at destroying Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. He insisted that the campaign was marked by `precision' and directed against Saddam Hussein's regime. It was intended to show the Iraqi people that the days of the regime were `numbered'.

Mr. Hoon said there had been `significant' surrenders by Iraqi troops reflecting the "reality on the ground'' that people were deserting the regime. He predicted large-scale desertion by Iraqi armed forces but refused to comment on speculation that Mr. Hussein might have been killed or injured.

Meanwhile, tensions were reported between Britain and the U.S. over the nature of U.N.'s role in post-war reconstruction of Iraq. The International Development Secretary, Clare Short, returned from Washington amid reports that Pentagon was opposed to the British idea of an active role for the U.N.

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