|
Troops
reject Iraqi claims of house searches with dogs
BRITISH
SOLDIERS serving in post-war Iraq have angrily rejected claims
made by Iraqis in the town of al-Majar al-Kabir that British
troops used dogs in house searches to sniff out explosives,
flouting strict Muslim cultural laws.
. They claim that this was one of the reasons why tempers were
boiling over in the town as British soldiers took part in searches
for hidden weapons. But military sources said that troops had
been schooled in the sensitivities of Muslim culture and rejected
any suggestion that soldiers would have entered Iraqi homes
with dogs.
One source said: "We don’t even wear sunglasses in
the presence of Iraqis, because we know there is a belief that
they somehow have X-ray powers and we would be able to see through
women’s clothes. We’re fantastically sensitive to
Muslim cultures and traditions."
The task is a role undertaken by specialists from the Royal
Engineers who are trained to hunt for arms and explosives.
However they, like all British soldiers now in Iraq, are under
the strictest orders to observe local customs and to treat all
Iraqis with respect.
Muslims do not normally keep dogs as pets like Westerners, although
they can be used to guard properties.
They would not become domestic animals, allowed to live inside
a family home. Although dogs are mentioned in the Koran, Muslims
regard them as dirty animals.
British troops in Northern Ireland engaged in arms searches
have always used dogs because they can be trained to sniff out
explosives.
However, the military sources said: "It’s inconceivable
that we would have used dogs in searching Iraqi homes in al-Majar
al-Kabir, because we know this would cause offence."
|
