The Black Watch first fought in Iraq in April 2003 as part of the 7th Armoured Brigade, which led the Desert Rats' attack on Basra, the country's second city.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Scotland | Black Watch heads back to Iraq

Hiroyuki Ishii, the rats under constant attack suffered less stress than the group receiving more lenient punishment.

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The researchers said they treated the rats and pigs immediately after a heart attack.

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Because an American attack could well begin without the Rats, these considerations may reveal little about exactly when a war may start.

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