E&P: The Brits have lost Basra

[Coexist]

from Editor and Publisher

Published: August 19, 2007 12:20 AM ET

LONDON An adviser to the U.S. military said British troops have lost control of the Iraqi city of Basra and face an "ugly" withdrawal in the coming months, a British newspaper reported.

Stephen Biddle, a member of a group that advised U.S. Gen. David Petraeus in Iraq last year, told the Sunday Times that "insurgents are calling the shots" in the southern city.

"I regret to say that the Basra experience is set to become a major blunder in terms of military history," Biddle was quoted as saying by the newspaper. The insurgents "in a worst-case scenario will chase us out of town."

<snip>
"It will be a hard withdrawal. They want the image of a British defeat," Biddle told the paper. "It will be ugly and embarrassing."

the rest...

What do you suppose Brown will be announcing in October?

[radfringe]

1. What do you suppose Brown will be announcing in October?

BYE-BYE BASRA?

[izzie]

2. We could see this coming in our reading.

For the life of me I do not see any of this mess coming out good for us. Or frankly the people if Iraq. It is going to be a fight to the death by men who want to bring things back to their Middle Ages and are willing to kill any one to do it.We have seen these things before and were in the middle of it in Western culture also. Faith that you are right is a big hill to get over. How we ever let our self get into this mess is beyond me. Every person who voted for this should be drawn and quartet just to show what the Middle Ages was like when the Churches etc.,. were into running every one and everything.

[Tesha]

3. Wasn't it only a year or two ago...

Wasn't it only a year or two ago that Basra was being
held up as a shining example of the cooperation between
Iraqi civilians and the British troops?

My, how things change!

Tesha

[HeraldSquare212]

7. that's what I was thinking, too

if such a formerly calm area has gone to hell, doesn't speak well for the rest of the country.

[gatorboy]

8. Was that the city used for the Iraq Tourism commercials?

A great place to vacation!

[JohnyCanuck]

4. Now that Sarkozy is sucking up to Dubya,

maybe Dubya can ask him to send in the French Foreign Legion to replace the cutting and running Brits, since the British Bulldog has decided it's time to tuck his tail between his legs and head for home.

[gratuitous]

5. Tea-sipping surrender monkeys

Just wait until the terrorists follow them home and book all the good hotel rooms in London! You'll be sorry then, boy.

[Coexist]

6. lol!

[KiraBS]

9. Not the story in the UK Media

It is the US that is spinning the story that the British have lost Basra. They seem to think Britain with drawing needs to be spun, so the Americans do think that their troops will be home.
The British Troops have idealogical differences as to what they call success. They
do not rule by shooting people, they talk and use diplomacy.
The other reason the British Troops are withdrawing, is so that we can focus of Afghanistan, the British Government does not what to neglect Afghanistan, where they also have tactical disputes with the US military.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2152354,00.html
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/willie_rennie_/2007/08/bring_them_home.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article2284295.ece
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=476422&in_page_id=1811

[roamer65]

10. You know what currency circulates in Basra?

I have read it is Iranian tomans, not Iraqi dinars. I think that pretty much says it all. Darth Cheney was right in his 1994 CBS interview.