| "Our Business Now is North" |
Col. Tim "Nails" Collins - Hero or Thug? |
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| Lt. Col. Tim "Nails" Collins, 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish after addressing his troops |
12 January 2004
Col Tim Collins, commander of the First Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment in the Iraq war, has resigned from the army.
Collins's rousing eve-of-battle speech "Our Business Now is North" received plaudits from around the world for its vision of a tough, compassionate liberation of the Iraqi people from Saddam Hussein's tyranny. The officer, known as 'Nails' to his troops, was promoted on his return from the Gulf from lieutenant colonel to the rank of full colonel, despite being investigated for brutality following allegations by an American officer. Collins was cleared of all charges.
It is thought that Collins's resignation was driven in part by feeling that his army bosses did not support him unequivocally enough during the investigation.
Collins's wife Caroline, speaking from their Canterbury home, said "Tim is no longer convinced that the Army reflects the country with the fourth largest economy in the world. He fears it is becoming a cottage industry. He's worried it is being crippled by political correctness, petty bureaucracy and the refusal of politicians who send British soldiers to war to give them enough money to do their job."
Had he remained in the army, it is likely Collins would next have been offered the post Director Special Forces (DSF) in charge of the SAS and the Special Boat Service. The brigadier-level position would normally lead to promotion to general.
Collins, father of 5, has not announced what he wants to do next, but friends say that he may write a book and go on the public speaking circuit.
Tim Collins Cleared of Wrongdoing | Back to top |
31 October 2003
Col Tim Collins, commander of the First Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment in the Iraq war, has been awarded the OBE.
Collins's rousing eve-of-battle speech "Our Business Now is North" received plaudits from around the world for its vision of a tough, compassionate liberation of the Iraqi people from Saddam Hussein's tyranny.
The officer, known as 'Nails' to his troops, was promoted on his return from the Gulf from lieutenant colonel to the rank of full colonel, despite being investigated for brutality following allegations by an American officer. Collins was cleared of all charges.
Tim Collins Cleared of Wrongdoing | Back to top |
2 September 2003
A Ministry of Defence investigation has cleared Colonel Tim Collins (promoted to full Colonel a few weeks after the liberation of Baghdad) of all charges of mistreating prisoners of war brought against him in the wake of the recent conflict in Iraq.
The investigation was ordered following claims by US Army Major Re Biastre that Collins had pistol-whipped prisoners, shot at their feet and shot out the tyres of civilian vehicles when there was no risk to life.
Collins strenuously denied the charges throughout. He admitted to shooting out the tires of looters' vehicles to stop them making off with essential supplies, and shooting into the kitchen floor of a senior Ba'ath party member to jog his memory about where he had hidden his weaponry. All part of a robust approach, Collins says, to imposing psychological as well as physical dominance of the enemy. He categorically denies charges of pistol whipping or beating prisoners.
Biastre had not actually witnessed the incidents, and it now appears was merely passing on allegations made by the Ba'ath party member (who did, it must be recorded, miraculously remember the whereabouts of his AK47 as a result of Collins's actions). During the investigation it emerged that Biastre, a social worker in civilian life, had earlier been publicly dressed down by Collins for distributing sweets to Iraqis during active operations.
Collins's exhoneration will come as a great relief to the legions of fans he won with his pre-battle oration (see below), which include such fine judges of rhetoric as Prince Charles and George W Bush.
"Our Business Now is North" | Back to top |
22 March 2003
With one phrase, Lt. Col. Tim Collins, commander of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish, summed up the task in hand for the British forces waiting to remove Saddam Hussein from Iraq in March 2003.
Collins, known as "Nails" by his men for his tough-guy attitude, was addressing his 800 men, an arm of Britain's 16 Air Assault Brigade, at Fort Blair Mayne, a Kuwaiti desert camp 20 miles south of the Iraqi border.
Here is the full text of his extraordinary and electrifying speech:
"We go to liberate not to conquer. We will not fly our flags in their country. We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own. Show respect for them.
"There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive shortly. Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send. As for the others I expect you to rock their world. Wipe them out if that is what they choose. But if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory.
"Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there. You will see things that no man could pay to see and you will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis. You will be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have nothing. Don't treat them as refugees for they are in their own country. Their children will be poor, in years to come they will know that the light of liberation in their lives was brought by you.
"If there are casualties of war then remember that when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day. Allow them dignity in death. Bury them properly and mark their graves.
"It is my foremost intention to bring every single one of you out alive but there may be people among us who will not see the end of this campaign. We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back. There will be no time for sorrow.
"The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful destruction. There are many regional commanders who have stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of hell for Saddam. He and his forces will be destroyed by this coalition for what they have done. As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this place. Show them no pity.
"It is a big step to take another human life. It is not to be done lightly. I know of men who have taken life needlessly in other conflicts, I can assure you they live with the mark of Cain upon them. If someone surrenders to you then remember they have that right in international law and ensure that one day they go home to their family.
"The ones who wish to fight, well, we aim to please.
"If you harm the regiment or its history by over-enthusiasm in killing or in cowardice, know it is your family who will suffer. You will be shunned unless your conduct is of the highest for your deeds will follow you down through history. We will bring shame on neither our uniform or our nation.
"[Regarding the use by Saddam of chemical or biological weapons] It is not a question of if, it's a question of when. We know he has already devolved the decision to lower commanders, and that means he has already taken the decision himself. If we survive the first strike we will survive the attack.
"As for ourselves, let's bring everyone home and leave Iraq a better place for us having been there.
"Our business now is north."
Speech given by Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins, 20 March 2003, Kuwait, near the Iraqi border.
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Check out an even greater pre-battle speech: Once more unto the breach, dear friends...
Col. Tim "Nails" Collins - Hero or Thug? Have your say.
