Channel 4 airs "TRophy Video" , AEGIS investigates

Channel 4 new aired the video of alleged shooting traffic from a civil convoy on the Airport (Irish) route from Baghdad to the Airport.

Menzies from the Lib Dems (where the hell is Kennedy – in a home ?) said it was dreadful if true. Aegis are quoted to have set up an internal enquiry with the US forces.

Then they dragged on some muppet from the Royal United Services Institute (founded by the Duke of Wellington) , who said , well war is a nasty business and it’s very difficult these things happen , and it’s very difficult to bring anyone to justice.

Well of course it was the RUSI who organised on 8th November 2005 a one day conference in Whitehall , “Expeditionary Operations in the Modern Era, Planning for the Conflicts of Today and Tomorrow” with the following speakers. PDF alert ! HERE

These are the speakers,

Lieutenant General Sir Robert Fry KCB CBE
Royal Marines, DCDS(C)

Maj Gen (Retd) John Holmes OBE DSO MC,
Director Erinys International

Brigadier Andrew Kennett CBE,
former commander 1UK Mech Brigade,
OP TELIC 4

Brigadier Andrew Salmon OBE Royal Marines,
former unit commander, Sierra Leone,
OP PALLISER

Andrew Bearpark,
Olive Security, Former Director of Reconstruction
and Infrastructure for the CPA, Baghdad

Andrew Michels,
DynCorp International

Simon Brooks,
International Committee of the Red Cross

Colonel (Retd) Tim Collins OBE
Dr John Mackinlay,
Centre for Defence Studies, KCL


Chief Superintendent Kevin Hurley TD,
former senior police advisor Iraq

Lt Col Tim Spicer OBE,
Chief Executive, AEGIS

Colonel Robert Barnes,
Commander OPTAG

Lt Col Richard Spencer OBE Royal Marines,
former Chief of Staff CMATT

Alan Robinson,
Directorate of Operational Capability, MoD

Erinys International Ltd., is based in the pleasant farmhouse home of John Holmes and despite being awarded a major contract for security staff in Iraq doesn’t seem to have been able to publish any accounts since their formation in 2002. Col. Tim Collins chaired the session at which Tim Spicer spoke – then lo and behold turned up again on Channel 4 news talking about something else.

Curious camaraderie is evident, DynCorp moaned when Aegis got their monster Iraq contract , despite their deep experience in running sex slaves in Bosnia, and there is Andrew Michels happily fraternising with TimSpicer.

It must be very difficult at times to determine where private enterprise ends and the UK Military begins.