Greer under pressure

Feminist writer Germaine Greer. Photo / NZ Herald

Feminist writer Germaine Greer was under pressure to apologise after she suggested that British troops might take part in rapes if they are sent into Libya. Greer was speaking during a BBC discussion about allegations that Libya's Colonel Muammar Gaddafi had ordered mass rapes as a weapon against rebels. She said: "Rape is always present where you have slaughter ... One of the interesting things you might ask about is what happens if we send in ground troops: how will be sure they don't do a bit of raping in their turn? All soldiers, in certain circumstances, will rape, regardless of whether they're ours or theirs or whose."

Patrick Mercer, Conservative MP and a former army officer, said: "For her to confuse the British forces with irregulars from other countries is not only ignorant and foolhardy from her point of view, it is also insulting."