![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
You are in: UK | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
|
![]() |
Thursday, 4 July, 2002, 19:42 GMT 20:42 UK
First marines arrive home
The marines were met by family and friends
More than 300 Royal Marines have arrived home in Scotland following a three-month mission in search of al-Qaeda fighters.
About 315 troops from 45 Commando, based in Arbroath, touched down shortly before 1800 BST on Thursday at Prestwick Airport - where they were greeted by a piper and about 100 family members, friends and wellwishers. The men, who had been serving in Afghanistan as part of Operation Jacana, are the first troops involved in the operation to arrive back in the UK.
Captain Ken Cowan, 29, from Edinburgh, was among those completing the 36-hour journey home on Thursday. He said: "It was a very successful mission and I'm very proud of what all the lads have achieved. "Now I'm looking forward to doing normal things like watching TV and going to the cinema. "It's the small things you miss, like using a toilet that flushes or sleeping on a bed with a mattress." Turbulent area His girlfriend, Laura Shevlane, 28, added: "I'm ecstatic. We are just looking forward to spending some time together." British marines have been involved in a number of missions in Afghanistan, including securing a turbulent area in the south-east of the country. They have been combing the mountain valleys to destroy remaining pockets of the al-Qaeda terrorist network, blamed for the 11 September attacks on New York and Washington.
Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram and Admiral Sir Ian West, Commander-in-Chief Fleet, met the marines as they touched down. Mr Ingram insisted the mission had been a success despite the absence of any direct combat. "They have done a fantastic job in very difficult conditions and we can all feel very proud that our armed forces have played a major role in the fight against international terrorism and destabilisation of the country," he said. "More importantly, they are all coming home safe, which will be a relief to us all.
Sir Ian stressed that the troops were "extremely highly trained". "There is no doubt at all that they would have given al-Qaeda a thrashing," he said. "There was some frustration, but deep in one's heart, one knows it's much better if you don't have to kill people or suffer any casualties of your own." The UK will continue to maintain about 1,700 troops in and around Afghanistan in readiness for rapid re-deployment if needed
|
![]() |
See also:
![]()
09 Jun 02 | South Asia
Internet links:
![]() The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top UK stories now:
![]() ![]() Links to more UK stories are at the foot of the page.
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Links to more UK stories |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To BBC Sport>> | To BBC Weather>> | To BBC World Service>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © MMIII | News Sources | Privacy |