Operation Telic and the Liberation of Iraq : From the Desert Rats to the Media War

Operation Telic and the Liberation of IraqOperation Telic and the Liberation of Iraq is ananecdote-packed daily diary recounting the author'sexperiences as a reserve officer and media handlerwith 7 armored (the Desert Rats) and 19 MechanizedBrigade in 2003.A journalist in uniform, Abbott provides aninsider-outsider account of British Army media opsin southern Iraq during the immediate post-conflictphase. With a sharp eye for detail, Abbott providesa behind-the-scenes account of the highs and lowsof serving two 'masters' - his demanding militarycommanders on one hand and a voracious press onthe other. One of his first missions is dealing witha barrage of media questions following the brutalmurder of six Royal Military Police by a crazed mob inMajar al-Kabir.Abbott recalls the adrenalin-filled atmospherewhen the British garrison at Basra Palace issurrounded by a crowd unleashinghundreds of rounds from their AK-47s. It's only aftera tense stand-to that the nervous troops discover thatthey are not under attack: t

he crowd is celebrating thedemise of Saddam Hussein's sons. There are plentyof lighter moments, too, as Abbott tellsstories that fortunately didn't make the news at thetime. The author admits how criminal thoughts mightjust have briefly crossed his mind over the tens of millions of dollars flownin by the US government each week and stored feetfrom his camp-bed.Above all this is a vivid account of a controversialoperation that cost many lives and severely tarnishedthe reputation of British Prime Minister Tony Blair and US leadership.Unconvinced of the merits of military action beforearriving in theater, Abbott ends his tour in a positivemindset despite the failure to locate WMD. His diaryis more SOS than SAS, with little of the derring-do ofan Andy McNab adventure. Yet it's just as un-put-downable. More in the tradition of Leslie Thomas'Virgin Soldiers, it's an honest,authentic and often funny read which has the potentialto appeal beyond a niche audience. There has been noaccount of the British in Iraq quite l

ike this. [Publisher's text].

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