April 3, 2008
Does the Iraqi prime minister trust the British?
There is a startling statement buried near the end of this NY Times report about Nuri al-Maliki’s ill fated offensive in Basra:
the Iraqis did not trust the British and were not including them in their planning, according to a senior American officer.
From what British officials tell me, the lack of trust is mutual (and that is putting it politely).
We may be witnessing the slow American realisation that the British aren’t the great warriors of legend; that they went to war in a half-ass fashion, and have fought it that way too. But the reality is this: if you go to war, you go to win. If you don’t want to go to war, then don’t go. Britain was given the opportunity not to participate (something Canada took up).
All else is micing whinging (a very British export).
Posted by: Bob Macdonald | April 3rd, 2008 at 11:25 pm | Report this comment