British Military involved in the death of diana

MCMLXXV wrote: »

This for a start, was surprised at it myself to be honest - maybe it's BS?

The Only 22 Countries in the World Britain Has Not Invaded

Zebra3 wrote: »

In case she married a muslim.

And the fact that her second sprog wasn't Charlie's.

longshanks wrote: »

What ever became of the bodyguard who survived the crash?

Chucken wrote: »

Trevor Rees-Jones? I dont think so!

First he survived a horrific crash and the media frenzy that followed. Now Trevor Rees-Jones, the bodyguard who nearly died with Princess Diana and Dodi al-Fayed when their car ploughed into a tunnel wall in Paris seven years ago, is facing what may be his toughest test of all: working as a security expert in Baghdad. Rees-Jones, 35, arrived in the Iraqi capital earlier this year to work for a European telecoms company, which cannot be named for security reasons. His duties include protection of key personnel as they travel in the city and arranging security for their offices.
The former British soldier is believed to be based in the 'international zone' in the centre of Baghdad, a high-security area where diplomats, the new Iraqi government and many private companies are based. The zone is heavily guarded by American soldiers but is still attacked with mortars almost every day. Residents call the morning strikes the 'dawn chorus'.
Rees-Jones, who spent six years with the Parachute Regiment and served in Northern Ireland, is believed to carry a weapon much of the time. Almost all security contractors in Baghdad, and especially those involved with close protection of western specialists and officials, are armed.
Rees-Jones has been seen at Baghdad airport, which is on the outskirts of the city and one of its most dangerous places.
One of his jobs is to ensure the safety of technical experts travelling to and from the airport. The road to the airport, though heavily patrolled by US and Iraqi troops, is frequently ambushed and security companies usually rush their clients along it in a convoy of heavily armoured vehicles. All planes landing at the airport 'corkscrew' down to cut the threat from surface-to-air missiles.
Last week, two Italian aid workers were kidnapped from their house in central Baghdad in a professional operation undertaken for money. More than 80 foreigners have been taken hostage in the country in recent months and many of them have been executed.
There is some respite from the danger of living in Baghdad, however. Security men patronise bars in several hotels and in the international zone. Rees-Jones has a number of friends working for other organisations in the city.
It is unclear how long Rees-Jones, who has recently set up a security firm in northwest England, will be in Iraq. Close protection work can be lucrative, with top operatives commanding fees of up to £1,000 a day. But most earn a fraction of that.
Contacted through an intermediary, Rees-Jones, who remarried two years ago and whose new wife was recently reported to be pregnant, refused to comment. A friend said: 'He is getting on with his life, doing something he does very well. He needs to earn a living like anyone else.'
It will surprise many that Rees-Jones, who suffered terrible facial injuries in the crash, has to take on such dangerous work. It was widely thought that Mohamed al-Fayed, the owner of Harrods and Dodi's father, had provided a generous financial package for him. However, Rees-Jones fell out with his former employers after the tragedy.
'After the accident, Mohamed al-Fayed looked after all of Trevor's medical needs,' a Harrods spokesman said. 'We broke all contact a couple of years ago with Trevor so do not feel we can comment on why he is doing this now.'
Three years ago Rees-Jones published a book describing the events leading up to the death of Diana and Dodi. The pair died, along with their French chauffeur, trying to outrun paparazzi photographers after leaving the Ritz Hotel early on 31 August 1997.
The chauffeur had been drinking. Rees-Jones has said he used the proceeds from the book to buy a £300,000 house in Oswestry, Shropshire, and to pay off legal bills.
He was in a coma for 10 days following the crash and underwent months of reconstructive facial surgery. He has said he cannot remember the accident.
He was kept in London for several months after his return from Paris while investigators tried to jog his memory for details of the events leading up to the crash. But nothing came back to him, except flashbacks and half-memories which he cannot be sure are real. At one point he said he remembered a voice 'calling out' Dodi's name in the armoured Mercedes moments before it spun out of control. Rees-Jones has been criticised for not insisting on a police escort for Diana and Dodi when they left the Ritz. However, in his autobiography he said he did everything he could to protect the princess. 'They died on my shift and I'll live with that for the rest of my life. But I look in the mirror every day and know I did the best I could,' he wrote.
One source closely involved at the time of the crash said that Rees-Jones had been 'traumatised' by it. 'He may think [taking the job in Iraq] will absolve some of the guilt. But a big part of it will be money and to escape life in Oswestry. Trevor has been running ever since the accident happened.'
Friends said such talk was 'rubbish'. 'He's not the sort of man to run away from anything,' one said.