US troops leave Aussie for dead in Iraq

AN Australian private security operator was left for dead by American forces after he was seriously wounded during an ambush in southern Iraq.

The US refused to provide a helicopter to evacuate the wounded man after being told he was Australian, News Limited reports.

The Queensland man, who suffered severe leg and abdominal injuries, was delivered to Basra air base by a British road convoy more than seven hours after the attack.

The June 25 attack near the town of Al Zubair, 15km southwest of Basra, was carried out by at least six gunmen and involved roadside bombs, small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.

Two Toyota Landcruisers were destroyed in the attack.

Three of the man’s Iraqi colleagues, including an Iraqi interpreter, died in the attack.

The security operator underwent surgery at a British military hospital and was later evacuated out of Iraq.

He remains in the region in a serious but stable condition.

~ by milesmccabe on July 24, 2007.