Wednesday, May 21, 2003

Weird Iraq war postscript

By general consensus one of the rhetorical highlights of the Iraq war was provided in the speech given by Tim Collins to his Royal Irish Regiment troops headed to southern Iraq. The contrast with the ineloquence of some of the speeches coming from politicians was noted. But now comes the unsettling news that Collins himself is being investigated for war crimes. Apparently the investigation follows a complaint from a US officer who observed some incidents between the RIR and Iraqi locals. Collins is denying everything and at least one journalist who was with him for much of the war is backing him up. But with the lustre already fading from the victory, this is not what was needed.