My hell in Iraq, by boy soldier

A SOLDIER on leave from Iraq has spoken of the "living hell" of serving in the Gulf.

Fusilier Lawrence Buckley, said the Iraq situation, with more than 100 British military personnel killed and the country slipping towards civil war, was turning into "another Northern Ireland".

Lawrence, 19, pictured above left, who is staying with his father Christopher in Newhey, near Rochdale, claimed most of the troops thought it was pointless being out there.

In a frank interview Lawrence, who is serving with the 1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, said: "Iraq is hell. It is a horrible place.

Rocket

"I drive a Warrior armoured vehicle and go out on patrol regularly. It is frightening and we have been under rocket attack twice. Fortunately, it was not accurate fire.

"Part of the population don't want us there, most don't even care about our presence and some are hostile. I feel it is pointless us being there.

"We are supposed to be out there training the Iraqis to take over the situation, but nine-tenths of them don't want to know and the police force they have got is corrupt."

Lawrence added: "I can see it becoming another Northern Ireland."

His tour of duty ends in May, with his battalion being transferred to Germany.

Rubbish

"I don't want to go back to Iraq, but it is a job at the end of the day and they pay my wages," he said.

"The people of Iraq don't seem to have any value for life. They just exist and the place stinks, with rubbish and dead animal carcasses all over the place."

Lawrence, a former pupil of St Thomas's CE Primary and Hollingworth High, said the troops in his battalion were living in relative comfort in eight-man tents, sleeping on proper bed mattresses.

There were "proper" showers and toilets and there was a NAAFI shop and Pizza Hut on site. He said the authorities were doing their best to make conditions comfortable.

He arrived home to see his dad last week and together they have been visiting relatives in Dublin.

Lawrence said: "It has been very good to chill out with dad. We are more like friends than father and son."
Manchesteronline


This guy looks like he's 12 years old? could this be his current picture? or what this picture taken on his 12th birthday, and someone cropped out the clown and the balloons in the background.