Looks like public pressure as well as the key role being played by the Black Watch in Fallujah may yet save the identities of traditional Scottish regiments in the British army, a struggle which I mentioned in this space a couple of weeks ago in the name of quaint cultural fandom:
The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) may reconsider plans to merge the armed forces’ Scottish regiments into a single division, according to media reports. British Prime Minister Tony Blair was reportedly reconsidering the amalgamation plans after public outrage following the deaths of five soldiers of the 1st Battalion, Black Watch near Falluja. The ongoing debate about disbanding some of the British army’s oldest and most traditional regiments was seen as a political liability to Blair at a time when Scottish soldiers are attacked almost daily on their controversial mission assisting US troops near the insurgent stronghold of Falluja. British newspapers reported on Wednesday that Blair might adopt a plan to preserve the separate identities of four of the existing six Scottish regiments in the British armed forces and to amalgamate them into a single division with its own headquarters in Scotland. Under this plan, which has not yet been officially confirmed by the MoD, the four regiments that would be preserved are The Black Watch, The Royal Highland Fusiliers, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, and The Highlanders Regiment. Those regiments would remain intact as distinct parts of a larger formation, possibly to be styled “The Scottish Regiment”, according to The Times daily.
BTW, speaking of Fallujah, warbloggin' shooting star Chester continues to be stupid prolific, an excellent resource. Check regularly if you want to follow our progress in Fallujah - there's too much to keep up with otherwise.