Hoon defends Black Watch move
LONDON, England (CNN) -- British ministers have defended the decision to deploy Black Watch soldiers from Basra to an area to the south of Baghdad after the deaths of three British soldiers.
The death of the three and an interpreter in a suicide attack Thursday threatens to reignite the bitter controversy in Britain over the deployment of the 850-strong battle group.
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon rejected suggestions that Black Watch troops had been sent to do an impossible job or that there had been "mission creep."
"Can I emphasize that these judgments are made by highly experienced, highly professional military officers," Hoon said speaking on BBC Radio. "This is not something in which politicians would seek to interfere."
The Ministry of Defence named the men who died as Sergeant Stuart Gray, 31, Private Paul Lowe, 19 and Private Scott McArdle, 22 who all came from Fife, Scotland.
The soldiers were killed, alongside the Iraqi interpreter, when a suicide bomb exploded at a checkpoint outside a new Black Watch battle base, Camp Dogwood, 20 miles south-west of Baghdad.
It was the first suicide attack killing British troops in Iraq. Since the war began, 73 British soldiers have died in the conflict.
Hoon insisted the deaths were the result of "purely military" decisions in which politics played no part.
Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy, whose party opposed the Iraq war, told the UK's Press Association that it was an "extremely worrying and alarming time" for the families of the Scottish regiment.
Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond was more outspoken, denouncing the "duplicity" of the ministers responsible for agreeing the deployment.
"There will be shock and grief across Scotland" he told PA. "But that will give way to a feeling of anger as we contrast the bravery of our soldiers with the duplicity of the politicians who sent them there."
Prime Minister Tony Blair paid tribute to the bravery of the soldiers. Standing alongside Iraq's interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, Blair said that securing peace in Iraq was "absolutely crucial" not only for the stability of the Middle East but also for the security of Britain
"I would like to express my deep sympathy and condolences to the families of those soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq yesterday and also to express my pride and gratitude to the Black Watch for the extraordinary and heroic job they are doing there, which is of crucial importance to making sure democratic elections can go ahead in Iraq."
Holding successful elections in January was "the single most important element of bringing stability to Iraq and therefore stability to the wider Middle East," Blair added.
U.S. request
The 850-strong Black Watch battle group was switched to outside Baghdad a week ago. The switch came after the U.S.asked the British to assume security responsibility in areas close to Baghdad so U.S. Marines and soldiers can be shifted to insurgency strongholds west of the capital, including Falluja.
Soldiers of 1st battalion, The Black Watch, who make up the majority of the force, have been told by their commanders that their deployment will be for a maximum of 30 days. Officials have refused to say which, if any, regiment might replace them.
The soldiers' families in Britain have expressed worries that the redeployment puts the troops in greater danger, and some soldiers also were angry at the handling of their sudden deployment.
Meanwhile the UK's Chief of Defence Staff, General Sir Michael Walker, has warned that the controversy over the deployment could make Black Watch soldiers a target for the insurgents in an attempt to put pressure on the government and undermine support for the U.S. led coalition.
A soldier at Camp Dogwood told British newspaper, The Guardian: "Yesterday was a terrible day but you cannot let it stop you. It would be a dishonor to these men to do that.
"They came here to do a job and it is up to us to make sure that their work is completed. Every soldier in this camp feels that twice as keenly today."
