London Times: “We’re Outta There”
BRITAIN is preparing to hand over control of Basra to the Iraqi army as early as next month, sparking renewed claims from the US that the British are preparing to “cut and run”.
The Iraqi army is on course to take control of Basra province by the autumn with October seen as the earliest point at which it would be ready, according to Whitehall officials.
It could allow Gordon Brown to announce the handover in his widely anticipated statement on Iraq to the Commons when MPs return from the summer recess.
The handover would enable most of the 5,500 British soldiers to leave Iraq, although negotiations are under way to base some troops in Kuwait.
According to defence sources in Washington, American commanders in Baghdad have accepted that British troops are on their way out of Iraq, prompting further criticism this weekend from US military commentators. Frederick Kagan, of the American Enterprise Institute, said it was “hard to imagine” conditions that would allow a handover next month. “It really highlights the growing divergence between the British and American approach,” he said.
General Jack Keane, a key architect of the US troop “surge” in Iraq, said the handover plans had “much more to do with conditions in the UK” than those in Iraq.
Government attempts to play down the simmering row with the US were hampered by General Sir Mike Jackson, former head of the British Army, who launched a scathing attack yesterday on American handling of postwar Iraq.
Jackson described the approach taken by Donald Rums-feld, the former US defence secretary, in postwar Iraq as being “intellectually bankrupt”.
The growing irritation in Washington will only be increased by renewed claims that the British have done a deal with the Shi’ite militias to ease their way out of Basra.
The lawyer for a Briton held without trial in Basra detailed a number of secret meetings where the British agreed to a phased release of militants, including known killers.
The Ministry of Defence denied any such deal but a senior defence source said secret talks mediated by the Iraqi special police had been “going on for weeks” to ensure a safe withdrawal from Basra Palace.
The prime minister has promised President George W Bush that the British will continue to monitor the progress of the Iraqi troops for the foreseeable future.
That will require about 2,500 troops, including a 1,500-man quick reaction force to intervene if the Iraqi security authorities cannot control the situation.
Officials emphasised that a number of plans were under consideration but senior military commanders are pushing to base the force in Kuwait.
Whitehall sources confirmed last week that Britain was speaking to the Kuwaiti government about “moving some of the functions currently carried out at Basra airport to Kuwait”.
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They’ve lost their balls.
Feel sorry for them when they go back home… jihadis are overrunning them there as well. And they got a shitload of liberal scum to deal with.
September 2nd, 2007 at 3:56 am[…] London Times: “We’re Outta There” — Pat Dollard […]
September 2nd, 2007 at 5:17 amFeel sorry for them. This will only encourage the wannabe’s on their own turf. They will reap the whirlwind when they get back home.
If he does this, Brown will be a disgrace his heritage. It tis not the Scottish way to leave the field before the battle is done. History will judge him harshly and so will the Highlanders.
September 2nd, 2007 at 7:42 amI see this as good news.
September 2nd, 2007 at 11:10 amRecalling post Gulf War and the “South’s” revolt against Saddam(remember Saddam’s mass graves), the “South” was never considered as difficult to stabalize as Baathist dominated Central Iraq.
Not to minimize the difficulties/success of the Brits in the South, the Brits have enjoyed the luxury of spending more time training the Iraqi Army while having to spend less time fighting insurgents as the US has in Central Iraq.
Seems the Brits have succeeded in stabalizing the South while getting the Iraqi Army up to speed in that area and can now move on. Mission accomplished.
I would rather see the Brits redeployed to the Afghanistan/Pakistan border than Kuwait and maybe after some well-deserved R&R that is a possibility.
Regardless, this American appreciates the service by the Brits in the South in fighting the war on terrorism.
Phil: If there’s still talk from the jihadis of making it look like they ran the British away, then they aren’t finished. I’m not denigrating the progress they made there - I’m just saying they’re not finished, and they shouldn’t be leaving until the mission really is accomplished.
September 2nd, 2007 at 11:35 am“Jackson described the approach taken by Donald Rums-feld, the former US defence secretary, in postwar Iraq as being “intellectually bankrupt”.”
September 2nd, 2007 at 12:25 pmI resent them saying things like this, as if it excuses their leaving and makes them sound so much more intelligent than we are (which they’re not).
I can recall similar intellectually bankrupt military plans from WWII like “Operation Market Garden” but we won the war for them anyway, because after Dunkirk, the Brits had very little to defeat either the Japs or the Nazis.
You’d think they’d keep their back-stabbing to themselves or save it for the IslamoFacists who bombed them, but nooooooo.
These people need to be taught a lesson and given the bloodthirsty nature of our enemies, who despise weakness like the Brits, they probably will be.
Their days are numbered in England. Caving in to the terrorist will surely feed the fire in their own homeland for their enemies to carry out further spectacular attacks.
September 2nd, 2007 at 2:00 pmCutting and running is all this is. Caving into jihadis only emboldens them more. Got to Afghanistan if you want, but you’ll never get any respect. The jihadis will punk-you as much as they can. Don’t be surprised if they continue to attack your homeland. They like nothing better than to pick on Dhimis.
September 2nd, 2007 at 2:56 pmI understand your point completely future and it is certainly valid.
September 2nd, 2007 at 3:42 pmYet, I think it remains important to differentiate between the two enemies that supporters of freedom are fighting in the war on terror. The Brit troops have contained the terrorist enemy in the South. It is the Brit citizen’s job to contain the terrorist enemy in the media that prop up the Muslim jihadist.
The average Iraqi having seen through the lies of the al qaeda/jihadist propaganda machine has figured this out. That is precisely why the Brits are able to fall back leaving a 2500 man support force for the Iraqi Army and Police. I just hope the average Brit citizen figures it out. With all of the recent fire the BBC has been under I’m hopeful.
On this subject, as absurd as it sounds, I expect the left to start taking credit for victory in Iraq. It appears this devious tactic has already started - i.e.: “….General Sir Mike Jackson, former head of the British Army, who launched a scathing attack yesterday on American handling of postwar Iraq. Jackson described the approach taken by Donald Rums-feld, the former US defence secretary, in postwar Iraq as being “intellectually bankrupt”.”
I suspect it won’t be long before dems here at home start claiming that without their insistence Rummy resign conditions in Iraq would have continued to deteriorate instead of improve - i.e.: It took a dem Congress demanding the resignation of Rummy to bring success in Iraq yada, yada. With continued significant improvements in Iraq, the dems really have no other option than to flip-flop on the war and take credit for the victory.
The leftist propaganda machine will be with us long after Iraq is stable - Regardless of whether the Brits stay or go. Thankfully, we have our own General Petraeus back here now to direct the fight against the demedia at home - Pat Dollard.
It’s official. The Brits have been driven out of Basra.
September 3rd, 2007 at 2:09 am