Brit Commanders speech

[BlackSilver]

22 March 2003 With one phrase, Lt. Col. Tim Collins, commander of the 1st

Battalion of the Royal Irish, summed up the task in hand for the British

forces waiting to remove Saddam Hussein from Iraq.

 

Collins was addressing his 800 men, an arm of Britain's 16 Air Assault

Brigade, at Fort Blair Mayne, a Kuwaiti desert camp 20 miles south of the

Iraqi border. Here is as much of his extraordinary speech as has been reported.

 

"We go to liberate not to conquer. We will not fly our flags in their

country. We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be

flown in that ancient land is their own. Show respect for them.

 

"There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive

shortly.

 

Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send. As for the

others I expect you to rock their world. Wipe them out if that is what they

choose. But if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in

victory.

 

"Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the

Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there. You will

see things that no man could pay to see and you will have to go a long way to

find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis. You will

be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have nothing.

Don't treat them as refugees for they are in their own country. Their

children will be poor, in years to come they will know that the light of

liberation in their lives was brought by you.

 

"If there are casualties of war then remember that when they woke up and

got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day. Allow them

dignity in death. Bury them properly and mark their graves.

 

"It is my foremost intention to bring every single one of you out alive

but there may be people among us who will not see the end of this campaign.

We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back. There will be no

time for sorrow.

 

"The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his nemesis and that we are

bringing about his rightful destruction. There are many regionalcommanders

who have stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of #### for

Saddam. He and his forces will be destroyed by this coalition for what they

have done. As they die they will know their deeds have brought them tothis

place. Show them no pity.

 

"It is a big step to take another human life. It is not to be done

lightly. I know of men who have taken life needlessly in other conflicts, I can

assure you they live with the mark of Cain upon them. If someone surrenders

to you then remember they have that right in international law and ensure

that one day they go home to their family.

 

"The ones who wish to fight, well, we aim to please.

 

"If you harm the regiment or its history by over-enthusiasm in killing or

in cowardice, know it is your family who will suffer. You will be shunned

unless your conduct is of the highest for your deeds will follow you down

through history. We will bring shame on neither our uniform or our nation.

 

"[Regarding the use by Saddam of chemical or biological weapons] It is not

a question of if, it's a question of when. We know he has already devolved

the decision to lower commanders, and that means he has already taken the

decision himself. If we survive the first strike we will survive the

attack.

 

"As for ourselves, let's bring everyone home and leave Iraq a better place

for us having been there.

 

"Our business now is north."

 

Speech given by Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins, 20 March 2003, Kuwait,

near the Iraqi border.

[MarkD]

EXCELLENT!  Sounds like a very knowledgeable/intelligent warrior.