Soldiers families go on attack

independent: The parents of British troops on active service in Iraq are to stage an unprecedented protest about the conflict, signalling growing discontent over the conflict in military circles.

They are to lobby Downing Street next week, making Tony Blair the first serving Prime Minister of modern times to be lobbied by military families for the withdrawal of British troops from action overseas.

The protests on 26 April are expected to involve more than 40 close relatives of soldiers posted to Iraq and Afghanistan and relatives of the 103** British personnel killed in Iraq, as well as four Iraq veterans. Among them will be 11 parents and children of men serving or about to be deployed in the Gulf, in Guards regiments, the infantry regiments, special operations forces and airborne units.

The families are due to hand in to Mr Blair at No 10 an anti-war petition that also calls for the Prime Minister to meet the families of dead soldiers, following a lobby of MPs at the House of Commons. The petition has already been signed by more than 80 people with military ties.

One mother, Linda Holmes, told The Independent on Sunday she would be protesting because the invasion was illegal. "We shouldn't be there in the first place. The Iraqis don't want us there. We are an occupying force," she said. Read more

**104th UK soldier dies after Iraq attack