The UK's most senior military officer has blamed media coverage on the Black Watch redeployment for attacks which claimed several soldiers' lives. Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Michael Walker said the media's coverage may have prompted Iraqi insurgents to attack the soldiers. He told BBC Two's Newsnight programme attacks were "enhanced" by reports. Five members of the 850-strong battlegroup died during attacks when they moved closer to Baghdad. "The contribution towards the initial attacks against the Black Watch was certainly enhanced by, if you like, a media picture that was being laid across a number of channels in all sorts of places," he said.
"Y'mean loose lips still sink ships?"
"That's ridiculous! They din't have no ships in Basra!" |
The reports meant "there could well have been a response by those who wished us ill to go and meet us with something like a bomb", he said. Most of the attacks on the Black Watch happened during the early stages of their redeployment from Basra to near the Iraqi capital, where they relieved US forces preparing for an attack on the city of Falluja. They included roadside bombs as well as mortar and small arms attacks on their base at Camp Dogwood. Gen Walker said: "Certainly the attacks against the Black Watch happened at that stage. "I'm certain, too, that the media coverage would have made it easier for anybody who wanted to conduct those attacks to do so." |