Iraqi police arrest British intelligence agents by mistake

Two British nationals who are reported to be agents of the British Military Intelligence Unit were taken into custody by the Iraqi police on Wednesday in the southern Iraqi city of Basra when the police suspected them to be Al-Qaeda militias.

It is reported that when the British officials’ car broke down at a police checkpoint in Basra, the Iraqi police officers helping the men became suspicious when they spoke only broken Arabic and searched their car. At least four automatic pistols, lots of hand grenades, explosives and confidential documents were found in the car. The two were arrested, however, they were released and later were turned over to the British forces when it was discovered they work for the British military intelligence.

The Basra police chief said that the two men who were wearing traditional Arabic clothes and spoke in broken Arabic were suspected to be Al-Qaeda members.

"The weapons and explosives used by the British army were found on these people, so we detained them. We turned them in when the British military said these people were working for them," police chief Muhammad Ali said.