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April 27, 2004, Scotsman TROOPS PAID LESS IN BASRA THAN BELFAST Gethin Chamberlain BRITISH soldiers in Iraq are being paid GBP 5 a day less than those serving in Northern Ireland, despite the increasingly dangerous conditions they are facing. Some soldiers who have served in Northern Ireland are angry that their pay packets in Iraq are smaller than those of colleagues who are exposed to fewer daily dangers. On Saturday, The Scotsman revealed that more than 2,200 injured British soldiers had been evacuated from Iraq since the start of the war, and that Britain was in talks with its coalition partners to send out more soldiers to replace the 1,300-strong Spanish contingent, which is being withdrawn. Attacks on troops are on the increase, and only yesterday the Ministry of Defence said that another British soldier had been wounded when a suspected home-made bomb exploded in Basra as his convoy went past. British soldiers say they are now expected to face greater dangers than at any time since the end of the war, and some have expressed frustration that their efforts and the risks they face are not reflected in their pay packets. "The ironic thing is that many of us have recently served in Northern Ireland and you get more for being out there than you do for coming to Iraq," said one. "We keep hearing them talking about the peace dividend and how things are getting so much better in Northern Ireland that they can cut the size of the army, but that is certainly not the case over here in Iraq. "It is getting more dangerous here by the day." The MoD confirmed that soldiers serving in Northern Ireland received GBP 5.29 a day residence supplement, which a spokeswoman said was intended to cover the cost of telephone calls home, newspapers and travel to and from leave. In place of the allowance, soldiers in Iraq received 20 minutes of free phone calls a week, access to newspapers and were provided with travel into and out of Iraq, added the spokeswoman. And she said it was not MoD policy to pay soldiers more because they were in more dangerous locations. "It would not be fair. We cannot divide operations up as higher or lower risk because all areas have an element of risk," she said. British soldiers complain they are the poor cousins of troops from the United States, who receive GBP 110 a month combat pay and GBP 60 a month to cover the cost of toiletries. US forces serving in Iraq pay no tax, but British soldiers are taxed as normal. There are other wide disparities, with a British war widow entitled to GBP 26,750 while a US war widow receives a GBP 175,000 lump sum. Discussions were continuing yesterday between Britain and its coalition partners about who should fill the gap left by the withdrawal of Spanish forces around the city of Najaf. While British commanders are concerned about the extra strain on the already -stretched UK forces and the need to set up and guard new supply chains, they are also attracted to the idea because of the opportunity it provides to keep US troops out of Najaf. Senior officers, including Brigadier Nick Carter, the man in charge of British troops in the south, have voiced concerns about the adverse effect on Shia support for the coalition if US troops attempt to enter the city to seize the rebel cleric Muqtada al Sadr. Spanish soldiers have been pulled out by their new prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. One option involves Britain - which has about 7,500 troops in Iraq - taking over control of Spain's divisional area, with some reports suggesting that British troops could also be asked to go to Baghdad. On Saturday The Scotsman reported that Britain was in talks with other coalition partners about what to do in Najaf. Meanwhile the Foreign Office announced that one of its most senior Middle East experts is to become Britain's new ambassador to Iraq on 1 July after the coalition hands over sovereignty to a transitional Iraqi government. With officials indicating that a UK military and civilian presence in Iraq was likely to be necessary for several years, the Foreign Office also announced the creation of a consulate general in Basra and a representative office in northern Iraq. The appointment of Edward Chaplin, the current director for the Middle East and North Africa at the Foreign Office, will coincide with the opening of a British embassy in Baghdad. The appointment of such a senior figure will be seen as a sign of the high priority being given to the post. The Foreign Office said the new embassy will comprise a large political section, with a smaller consular and visa section, an economic/energy section, a defence section and a commercial section.
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................................................................................................................. Copyright ©2004 Gethin Chamberlain. All rights reserved. |
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