Home > At least 1,000 UK soldiers desert

At least 1,000 UK soldiers desert

by Open-Publishing - Sunday 28 May 2006
14 comments

Edito Wars and conflicts Governments UK

More than 1,000 members of the British military have deserted since the start of the Iraq war, the BBC has learned.

Figures for those still missing are 86 from 2001, 118 from 2002, 134 from 2003, 229 from 2004, 377 from 2005, and 189 for this year so far.

The news comes as Parliament debates a law that will forbid military personnel from refusing to participate in the occupation of a foreign country.

The MoD insists "absent without leave" figures have remained constant.

A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said the soldiers currently missing were considered to be "absent without leave" and would have to be court martialled before they could be found guilty of deserting.

She added only one person has been found guilty of deserting the Army since 1989.

According to MoD figures 2,670 soldiers went "absent without leave" in 2001, with the figure rising to 2,970 in 2002 and falling in 2003 to 2,825. In 2004 it rose to 3,050, falling back again in 2005 to 2,725.

She added: "We regard that figure as fairly constant. It often happens for family reasons and there is no evidence to suggest operational commitments contribute significantly to the figures."

John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington told, Parliament last Monday that the number of absconders had trebled since the invasion with more soldiers "questioning the morality and legality of the occupation".

On Sunday he insisted the numbers of British troops trying to absent themselves from service in Iraq were rising.

"My understanding is there are a lot more seeking to avoid service, through different mechanisms," he said.

"I think what the MoD is saying flies in the face of all the other evidence and the experience of soldiers on the ground."

But former defence minister Don Touhig told BBC Radio Five Live there were no "hard facts" to suggest the Iraq conflict was prompting increased numbers to leave the forces.

’Illegal acts’

Justin Hugheston-Roberts was the solicitor for Flight Lieutenant Malcolm Kendall-Smith who was sentenced to eight months in prison for refusing to follow orders in connection with a deployment to Iraq.

He said: "I am approached regularly by people who are seeking to absent themselves from service. There has been an increase, a definite upturn."

Military law expert Gilbert Blades, who represents soldiers at courts martial, said the numbers leaving because of Iraq were often obscured as they were not counted as conscientious objectors.

"One can’t help thinking that what’s behind every absence is the problem in Iraq and I would think that if the real truth was told, then the Iraq problem has contributed to a huge number of people going absent," he told BBC Radio Five Live.

Former SAS member Ben Griffin was allowed to leave the military after telling his commanding officer he was not prepared to return to Iraq because of what he believed were illegal acts being carried out by US forces.

Mr Griffin would never have considered deserting but says his views are shared by many others in the British military.

He told the BBC: "There’s a lot of dissent in the Army about the legality of war and concerns that they’re spending too much time there."

Major General Patrick Cordingley, who commanded the 7th Armoured Brigade "Desert Rats" in the first Gulf war, said servicemen’s views on Iraq prompted some to leave but "good leadership" would stop it reaching epidemic proportions.

He said those who had been to Iraq before or whose families were unhappy about them going were among those who might not want to serve there.

"If you have such a person in your unit you have to discuss things with them... you do not necessarily want people with you if they have that particular view," he added.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5024104.stm

Forum posts

  • Illegal wars need illegal measurements. Good that some soldiers still have common sense. Why should they die for a phony American hunta.
    I bet if those cases go to court in Britain that all of them turn out as a plea for non guilty.

  • It would be interesting to note how many American soldiers have gone AWOL.

    If this fugure is correct about the British solders, then I would estimate that 12% of the fighting force have gone AWOL (assuming the published reports of 8000 UK personnel in Iraq).

    It certainly shows that the UK troops have no heart; whether someone interperts this as having common or moral sense, is another matter altogather.

    Over time, I suspect that both the American and British soldiers will feel more like those who have gone AWOL thus far. I base this on the "heart" factor that I mentioned above. When you consider that they are fighting Iraqis who are on thier soil defending what they believe to be their nation-state. In the long run it will be shown that the native population of Iraq had "heart".

    But that is not to say that all American or UK soldiers will feel this way; many will buy the Iraqis are evil/subhuman argument for the duration of their lives and think that somehow they carry the "White man’s burden", never realizing that the present-day Iraqis are the legacy that gave the world the codified laws, ways of measuring time, the celestial hemisphere, the calander that the soldiers use, ambulatory care, animal welfare, etc.

    I would be interested in hearing from the readers of this blog of their thoughts along the theme I mentioined above.

    • The reason the UK soldiers have gone AWOL is that they found their moral compass....along with a few Americans who are the truely brave and honorable and refuse to do evil......the rest are just cowardly murdering bastards who have found a way to be sickos and get away with it.

    • I disagree with you about those who go fight, as cowardly murdering bastards, THEY ARE BUT PAWNS IN BLAIR’S AND BUSH’S AND PNAC GROUP’S GRAND PLANS FOR WORLD DOMINATION! But I do wish more would refuse to go and mutiny! I have the numbesrs of American’s who have refused to go, will research more later and post here! Some yes, are guilty of war crimes and should be punished according. But the TRUE WAR CRIMINALS HERE ARE BLAIR,BUSH, AND COHORTS YET THOSE WILL PROBABLY GET AWAY WITH MASS MURDER, WAR CRIMES,WAR PROFITEERING, ESPECIALLY IF TERRORIST BLAIR BECOMES HEAD OF U.N. LIKE THERE IS TALK OF! Bush,Blair, Cheney and rest of PURE EVIL PNAC group needs to be at HAGUE as we speak but WHY aren’t they? Because the U.S. and Britian has too big an arsenal is WHY! God, help not only America but whole world of Blair becomes leader!

    • TO; 72/190

      You say that the AWOL soldiers have found their moral compass... What do you base this on? That is, are you aware of some statements that were mae by those that are AWOL?

      From a historical point I have based my assertions that the Iraqis have more heart, as they are fighting for their nation-state, heritage, family and legacy. Where as the U.S. and U.K soldiers are merely there through their own (and various) understandings and not true "heart".

      Thanks for any pointers.

    • If you want some firsthand accounts....Google Monica Benderman, or U.S. soldiers gone AWOL....there are several stories about Iraq war deserters...some have gone to Canada for refuge.

  • An estimated 5,500 men and women have deserted since the invasion of Iraq, reflecting Washington’s growing problems with troop morale.

    I am sure this number has increased. PLus there are those who have been put in prison also, increasing the numbers! We MUST stand by these people and encourage others to desert and/or go to jail! And fight the recruiters ever step of way! And education young people about the phoney bs about getting a college education in service! That is WHY I totally believe Bush cut funding for college, he wants and needs more cannon fodder for his illegal,immoral wars, which he/they are war profiteering off of,etc.! That is WHY he and conservatives are AGAINST abortions! They need those kids to grow up and be their cannon fodder so they can war profiteer off their dead bodies, as THEIR Kids and relatives sure as HELL are not going to war!

  • In my above post, I talk of Blair being leader, I meant to say LEADER OF U.N.! Which would be WORSE then tragic! I believe that is what they will push for, to get OUT OF HANGING FOR WAR CRIMES, CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AND SUCH AT HAGUE! THE WORLD HAD BETTER STOP THEM!

  • hey it’s better to sit in jail "3 hots and a cot" then to get your arms and legs blown off. If the later happens to you the only job you will be able to do is an door mat position. HAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHA

    • The world needs to realise and stop politicians from using the military, in proxy to do their dirty work. Let the people of the world declare henceforth that "any political leader who declares or support war, should be the first to lead into battle"....like King Arthur in the days of old and let us see how many will be willing then?

    • And I guess you’re some big man sitting there in your mother’s basement masterbating to George Bu$h’$ photo?????

    • Absolutely! And if that were to become world law we would find the Bushes, the Cheneys, the Rumsfelds,the Blairs the Howards et al finding new and innovative ways of seeking fair and equitable solutions. We wish!! They’re cowards, the lot of them. Don’t these neocons know that every empire in history has been defeated. C’mon, Blair from the now effete British Empire should have clued in lil Georgie Dunce, doncha think?

  • As an American, I find it embarrassing that more people are not AWOL and that there is not more dissent here. I am very glad that that many people in the UK had the sense to desert. Maybe this will inspire more people.

  • I am in total support of any and all soldiers that do not want to engage in this illegal and immoral
    war and in the occupation of sovereign countrys. This does not benefit any so far as the general welfare in the US or foreign lands. It is piracy using the US military to carry out this insane and evil policy. Only the war profiteers gain. 99.999 percent of the populace lose.

    E. T. Nebr. usa