EUROPE

07 Jul 07. Iraq: OP TELIC. A soldier from 4th Bn The Rifles died at the Basrah Palace base on 6 Jul 07. Another soldier from 2nd Bn The Royal Welsh was killed following an explosion in the Tuninah District on 7 Jul 07. (MoD, 7 Jul 07.)
UK deaths since the start of the Campaign thus rose to 158, of whom 100 have been classified as Killed in Action and 22 as Died of Wounds sustained in action. (MoD, 7 Jul 07.)
It was confirmed that the Fulton Report [on Operational aspects of the detention of RN/RM personnel] is classified ‘Secret-UK Eyes Only’. (Ministerial Answer (MA), 4 Jul 07.)
Over 2,800 medical personnel have deployed to Iraq since 2003 and there are currently 56 (military and civilian) nurses deployed on OP TELIC. (MoD, 4 Jul 07.)
Data on fatalities and casualties are published by the MoD on a two-weekly basis in arrears. (MA, 5 Jul 07.)
Mr C N R (Christopher) Prentice is to be HM Ambassador to Iraq from September 2007. (FCO, 6 Jul 07.)
Comment: ‘Soldier’ (July 2007) includes some statistics from 2nd Bn The Rifles’ six-month tour during
OP TELIC 9. The Battalion fired nearly 36,000 7.62mm and 28,000 5.56mm rounds and conducted 40 Strike Operations. They endured 1,000 incoming mortar rounds and 400 small arms attacks as well as having to deal with 30 improvised explosive device contacts. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0727, 09 Jul 07)

02 Jul 07. Afghanistan: OP HERRICK. A Captain from 1st Bn The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment was killed South-West of Sangin on 30 Jun 07. (MoD, 1 Jul 07.) A Sergeant from 19 Regiment Royal Artillery was killed by an explosion in Gereshk on 1 Jul 07. (MoD, 2 Jul 07.) UK deaths since the start of Operations in November 2001 thus rose
to 63, of whom 36 have been classified as Killed in Action and four as Died of Wounds sustained in action. (MoD, 2 Jul 07.)
UK Forces are “able to provide support to Afghan-led counter-narcotics Operations, within the scope of the NATO Operational plan. They are not there to carry out eradication themselves.”. (MA, 4 Jul 07.)
Co-ordination between the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and OP ENDURING FREEDOM is the key to Operations and has been the subject of further work over recent weeks. (MA, 5 Jul 07.)
The UK does not specifically fit helicopters for the medical role but has dedicated and fully equipped specialist medical teams that can use any helicopter. (MA, 5 Jul 07.)
Soldiers from 1st Bn The Royal Anglian Regiment have been taking part in an Operation aimed at clearing Taliban elements from Jusyalay. The British soldiers worked alongside others from Afghanistan, Denmark and Estonia in the initial stage of OP CHARTSE GAR. (MoD, 5 Jul 07.)
Comment: The Prime Minister of New Zealand announced (2 Jul 07) that Corporal W Apiata of the Special Air Service had been awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery in Afghanistan. The Corporal is the first New Zealander to be awarded the medal since World War II. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0727, 09 Jul 07)

06 Jul 07. French ex-PM’s office is searched. Nicolas Sarkozy and Dominique de Villepin were once political rivals. French magistrates probing an alleged dirty tricks campaign have searched offices once used by the ex-prime minister, Dominique de Villepin. They are investigating claims of a plot in 2004 against his political rival Nicolas Sarkozy, now French president. Mr de Villepin faces claims that he encouraged the leaking of papers which falsely implicated Mr Sarkozy in a bribery scandal, sources say. Mr de Villepin has strenuously denied any involvement in the affair. He has demanded to be declared an “assisted witness” in the inquiry, a move which would enhance his legal rights and give his lawyers access to police files. He has curtailed a holiday to monitor the search. A separate six-hour search of his home was conducted in Paris on Thursday. The alleged scandal is known as the Clearstream affair, after the Luxembourg clearing h