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Proceeding contribution from Tobias Ellwood (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Monday, 8 May 2006. It occurred during Ministerial statement on Iraq (Basra Incident).


Iraq (Basra Incident)

I join the Secretary of State in echoing the condolences to the families. My local regiment was part of the response unit that went to help with the helicopter crash. However, wider questions are raised about how Iraq is progressing, as was mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for Reigate (Mr. Blunt). What we endured here in the UK, in London on 7/7, would be an average day in Iraq. We lost about 50 civilians on that day. In Iraq, 1,300 civilians are lost every month; there is an average of 60 attacks a day, and about 30 bodies are found on the streets every day. How high must the death toll rise until the Secretary of State agrees that there is a state of civil war? How long must we endure the hostilities between the Shi’ites and the Sunnis before the Secretary of State acknowledges that Iraq might be better off if it were encouraged to divide peacefully into three separate states?


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
446 c38 
Session
2005-06
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
Armed forces Casualties Air force Inquiries Iraq Helicopters Peacekeeping operations Military police Military aircraft Civil disorder Basra Lynx helicopters
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk