British army in Gulf fights on its stomach
While US officers have been inviting reporters to their bases in this Gulf state frequently in recent weeks, their British counterparts have kept the wraps on their operations. The official reason for the closed-door policy is that Britain is still getting much of its force into the region, unlike the Americans whose preparations are more advanced. However, officials acknowledge the British Government has also been keen to avoid pictures of war preparations being beamed back home when opposition to military action is strong in Britain. The time was considered right on Saturday, however, to offer a glimpse of what the army is up to in the desert, although the focus was on feeding not fighting, perhaps in an effort to counter reports at home that troops were not being well fed.
Cooks normally cater for soldiers in their individual regiments but, in northern Kuwait, chefs from different units have been pooled together in one big tented kitchen to feed the large number of British troops.
