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Australian killed in Iraq crash
The Australian Defence Department has confirmed an Australian man was among at least 10 British military personnel killed in a military plane crash in Iraq today. Paul Pardoel, 35, a former Royal Australian Air Force officer from Victoria, had been serving with the British Royal Air Force and living with his family in the UK for several years. The Defence Department has confirmed he was on board the British Hercules transport plane which crashed about 40 kilometres north-west of Baghdad this morning.British authorities say at least 10 military personnel are dead but the final toll may rise to 15. Australian consular officials in Baghdad are discussing the incident with British authorities. Mr Pardoel leaves behind his wife Kelly and three young children. His parents, who live in Australia, say their son was due to return home for good in a few months. His mother, Margaret Pardoel, says she cannot believe her only son is gone. "Paul was coming out of the Air Force in July and he was going into something completely different because of the children," she said. "That was very dangerous - too dangerous - and that was his last flight. He wasn't going to be doing any more and he never came back. It's very, very sad." In other developments: Iraq remains locked down and under strict curfews and restrictions as an estimated 8 million ballot papers from yesterday's elections are ferried under armed guard to Baghdad to be counted. The Federal Government has revealed it is reviewing the role and number of Australian troops in Iraq after deciding to move diplomatic staff in Baghdad to a coalition military camp. Posted by: God Save The World 2005-01-31 |
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