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イギリス軍空挺部隊の隊員は落ち込み6名の死は始まりに過ぎないと自覚：タイムズ報道
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-724727,00.html
World News
June 25, 2003
Tragedy mars the dream of home
From Daniel McGrory in Baghdad
LAST week paratroops guarding the British embassy compound in Baghdad watched guests arriving for the first Queen's birthday party held in the venerable Ottoman building in 13 years.
Last night those same soldiers were numbed by the news that several of their regimental comrades had been injured in an ambush in southern Iraq, and that six other British servicemen had been killed.
"We are sickened because obviously we will know those involved even though as yet we have not been told their identities," said one paratrooper on duty at the heavy metal gates.
"You always think 'It could have been us' if we had been in the south instead of here. The irony is that we were all due to go home at the end of the month and were looking forward to being reunited with the rest of the battalion as well as our families. It had been generally thought of as a successful tour for us and now this happens."
The First Battalion Parachute Regiment had been given the relatively safe task of restoring order to the predominantly Shia southern cities of Basra and al-Amara, and protecting oilfields.
It was in Baghdad, and to the north and west of the capital, that Saddam loyalists had been attacking American forces. It was thought that the paras stationed in the capital, who numbered about 50, were at greatest risk. But that was before yesterday.
But a local Iraqi leader had predicted that British troops would be killed in the al-Amarah area weeks ago. Abu Hatim gave a warning of violence if power was not handed back to Iraqis in the area.
He shared his fears with a British Christian Aid worker, Dominic Nutt, who visited the region three weeks before yesteray's killings.
"He told me 'If we don't get what we want in a few weeks people will start throwing stones'," Mr Nutt said. " 'If we still don't get what we want people will start throwing bombs'." He said the six deaths could be just the first in a series of attacks.
In Britain colleagues of the wounded soldiers were said to be praying for them.
Paul Beard, a spokesman for 1 Para, which is part of the 16th Air Assault Brigade, based at Connaught Barracks, in Dover, Kent, said: "Obviously all of the soldiers of 1 Para will be thinking of their comrades out in the field and will be hoping and praying they make a full recovery.
"We hope they will be back carrying out their sworn duties in the true tradition of this world famous regiment."
No flags were flying at the barracks last night.
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