Checkpoint rules, learned in NI

The killing by US soldiers of civilians at a checkpoint in Iraq has prompted comparisons with how British soldiers trained in…

The killing by US soldiers of civilians at a checkpoint in Iraq has prompted comparisons with how British soldiers trained in Northern Ireland would handle such situations.

The intensity of the war in Iraq could never be compared with the lower-level conflict in the North, but in terms of dealing with checkpoints lessons could be learnt, said a Lisburn-based British army spokesman.

There was confusion yesterday over how and why the soldiers opened up on the van, killing seven women and children near Karbala, and whether proper warnings were issued to the occupants of the vehicle.

The army spokesman said that in over 25 years of conflict in Northern Ireland soldiers had fine-tuned the manner in which vehicle checkpoints should be managed.

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Incidents such as the IRA's use of "human bombs" to target British soldiers had forced the army to be especially cautious at checkpoints, he added. In 1990 Patsy Gillespie from Derry was forced by the IRA to drive a bomb to a checkpoint in the city. It was remotely detonated by the IRA, killing Mr Gillespie and five soldiers.

"We operated a system of screening vehicles as they came to checkpoints," the spokesman said. "One soldier about 30 metres or so away from the main checkpoint would carry out a provisional check of vehicles. He was known as the chatter-up. His function was to detect by the demeanour of the occupant or occupants of the vehicle, or by what he could actually see inside, whether there was any reason to be suspicious," he added.

"This system ensured that if there were terrorists in the car prepared to bomb or fire only one soldier, rather that all those manning the main checkpoint, would be immediately threatened."

There were clear signs in Northern Ireland telling motorists what they should do at army checkpoints, and if similar signs in Arabic - or whatever was the local language - were used in Iraq then that could assist in avoiding tragic incidents, he added.

The spokesman said British soldiers operating in Northern Ireland and in other areas of international conflict were also encouraged to try and build up a relationship with local people.

He suggested US troops appeared less inclined to engage actively with Iraqis than the British army.

Notwithstanding the training and experience gained in Northern Ireland, the British army was also involved in many controversial incidents at checkpoints. In 1990 two teenagers, Karen Reilly and Martin Peake, who was driving a stolen car, were shot dead by British paratroopers in disputed circumstances in west Belfast.

• The first reported Northern Irish casualty of the Iraqi conflict is being treated in hospital in England. A member of the Irish Guards, he suffered a flesh wound in the leg. His mother has travelled to England to visit him.