Tuesday, November 28, 2006
British troops may stay in Iraq until 2016!
Read this The first time a government minister has said something near the truth!-2016,well that's a little longer than the 3 years suggested yesterday!It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that the main British base in Iraq also happens to be an airfield not too far from the Iranian border and in range of all the other "Unfriendly" countries in the middle east?Take a look at a map of the world and you will see that having a western military airfield,capable of receiving troops and equipment and mounting operations,slap bang in the centre of the middle east is a huge bargaining chip in future policy decisions and negotiations within the Arab world!In 2004,during my own tour in Iraq,I was based at Basrah International Airport,I was present when "Basrah Airbase" was created by simply fencing off the military section.Building work on more permanent structures was still under way when I left in December,and we were all well aware that the intention was to create a permanent RAF base for at least the next ten years!-The statements made by Des Browne yesterday were typical of this present government's "Spin doctoring",saying what the public wants to hear and grabbing the headlines:troops out by next year,and in the next breadth announcing another ten years of deployments!It's obvious that yesterdays announcement was to play down the more important one of today,can we believe anything the government says at all these days!"What does the British public gain from our occupation of Iraq?"That question was put to Des Browne last night by Jeremy Paxman on "Newsnight" and he couldn't reply!We've gained nothing from the Iraq war and insurgency except dead and wounded British servicemen and home grown suicide bombers!-Time to pull ALL our troops out of the quicksand that is Iraq before it pulls us all under!
Read also-Blair’s Iraq exit strategy seems to be out of the frying pan,into the fire