Do the Australians know something we don't?
I ask, because The Australian is reporting:
"Labor (sic) is banking on a British withdrawal from southern Iraq by late next year to help it honour its commitment to immediately withdraw the bulk of Australian military forces from Iraq should it win government...Coalition military sources say there is a strong prospect British forces will be in Iraq well into 2008 and that Whitehall will expect Australia to maintain some presence in the south. Labor's defence spokesman Robert McClelland told The Australian yesterday he expected the overwatch battle group would have returned home by the time of next year's federal election, due by November. "It is conceivable we could still be in southern Iraq come election time but I think that is unlikely," he said".
Hmm. The Iraqi engagement is not exactly popular at the moment, but should coalition forces cut and run, current troubles in Iraq will look distinctly minor.
"Labor (sic) is banking on a British withdrawal from southern Iraq by late next year to help it honour its commitment to immediately withdraw the bulk of Australian military forces from Iraq should it win government...Coalition military sources say there is a strong prospect British forces will be in Iraq well into 2008 and that Whitehall will expect Australia to maintain some presence in the south. Labor's defence spokesman Robert McClelland told The Australian yesterday he expected the overwatch battle group would have returned home by the time of next year's federal election, due by November. "It is conceivable we could still be in southern Iraq come election time but I think that is unlikely," he said".
Hmm. The Iraqi engagement is not exactly popular at the moment, but should coalition forces cut and run, current troubles in Iraq will look distinctly minor.
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Gordo'll bring the troops home. He was never really in favour of the Iraq debacle. Iraq will be partioned within the next 2 years. The result will be apocalyptic for the suffering people of that benighted country.
If Broon gets his heart's desire and does become our Lord Protector I think he might smile (briefly), and then his 'freeing the Bank of England' rabbit out of the hat act will indeed be to abandon Iraq to the apocalyse. Still, who cares about the body count if it gets the brain dead left back on side, eh?
Exactly. The Brownite tendency have frequently flagged the intention of their man to do something dramatic early on in his administration. New policies, etc. Why not a timetable for accelerated withdrawal from Iraq? The sad fact of the matter for the Iraqui people is that there no electoral advantage for Broon to keep UK forces in Iraq any longer. The war and occupation enjoy little or no public support in Blighty. And it will be a massive slap in the face for Emily and co. Broon has invested no real support or political capital in Iraq- pulling out will be a vote winner.
And to think that Broon, or his various glove puppets, have the bare faced etc to refer to other politicians as opportunistic.
Going on a bit further with the idea of opportunism, populism etc I think it was Matthew Parris who cooked up the notion of looking at politicians and asking if one could imagine them collaborating with the Nazis, and he reckoned - no names, natch - there were too many for comfort on both sides of the House.
I can think of a fair few household names, but I don't particularly want to see the law of libel tested on this one, and I would be grateful if posters could follow the same path. Please. However, names of those who most definitely would not are very welcome, so I'll kick it off with Tony Benn and Ken Clarke.
I'll continue with the glaringly obvious examples of Michael Howard and Sir Malcolm Rifkind for obvious reasons. Others who would not have collaborated: Bob Marshall-Andrews, Ming, Ian Paisley to name a few. As for Emily, who can say??
Mr Istanbultory the division of Iraq was planned from day one.
Our kind host William doesnt want to see it but, it is all part of the ZOG conspiracy
Peter, it would have been a lot easier to have done that earlier on.
As a practical objection, much of the oil is in the Shia region, and a Shia state would /inevitably/ be heavily under the sway of Iran. I cannot see that that would be in anyone's interests, including 'Zog', other than Tehran.
the "cakewalk" was wilful negligence
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I suspect not enough thought went into the whole exercise, but an awful lot of theory....
Do you prefer the time honoured name for these purposes or the one your folks call you?
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Nick?!
bloody hell, the revelations you get on your blog Croydonian. Very jealous.
As for Iraq. I disagree with you all on this one. We should withdraw asap from the South. We are adding no value to the situation at all and I think your deluding yourselves if you think we can turn it around now.
As i ahev said too often recently, let's focus on Afghanistan where we could still win through.
Also, really, what use is oil? Soon we will have eco friendly cars and it will be valueless.
Afghanistan has herion, 90% of the world's supply so I am told. This could be worth a fortune. If we will insist on imperial escapades then let's choose the ones that make sound business sense.
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cityunslicker
you dont understand.
"Nick" is masonic code.
"c" and I are both Satan worshipping craftsmen , his photo gives the game away.
pay attention at the back.
CU (sounds like a Glaswegian threat...),
Yes, quite an honour that PH has let the mask slip.
I'm not sure whether Iraq is salaveagable per Plan A, I just feel that scarpering with our tails between our legs will make for a whole lot of trouble further down the line, plus (and just /a little less/ seriously) the newspaper-selling left will be unbearable if the coalition pulls out under circumstances that makes the equivalent of the fall of Saigon inevitable.
As to Afghanistan, it is interesting that the coalition is able to fight a more conventional war there, and seems to be doing a pretty good job. Not sure that the opium poppy fields are that much of an incentive - they are easy enough to grow in other climes, and ones with better communiations links to boot.
As to weaning ourselves of oil - yes please. The sooner we can break that habit the better, and then the bearded ones can shake their little fists all they like. The middle eastern economies - excluding Israel and oil - are less important to the world economy than Finland. Old stats, and pre-Nokia I think.
You on The Square then?
I've never even been asked.... Or the Round Table, or the Oddfellows or anything similar. Ah well.
Well if Bob Woodward in a State of Denial is to believed, there was no plan once the shooting stopped after the invasion, the coalition would be welcomed as liberators, elections would be held, the boy gets the girl and the Hollywood film would end with the rising swell of music. Sadly life is not like Hollywood. Does anybody remember Tariq Aziz the Foreign Minister under Sadaam saying Iraq would become a new vietnam if the coalition invaded, as the Iraqi armed forces would melt away and launch attacks. My best guess is that a new strong man will appear, probably from amongst the ranks of the mostly Shia army backed by Iran, and the nationalism of the Iraqis will maintain their current borders, and the main conflict will be between the Kurds and the rest of Iraq. The US and the UK will be seen as weakened as despite superior fire power, it could not hold Iraq and the withdrawal will be seen as a defeat.
All satan woshippers AND masons here PH?
At last, I new I would find kindred spirits eventually.
Zog? King Zog of Albania?
A name one hears all too rarely.
24.10.6 10:25
G - thanks for that. A letter in the 'graph was suggesting a pan-Arab peace keeping force, which is one of the daftest things I've ever heard.
CU - Not as such, although I did muck arounf with a ouija board in my teens.
Suttonian (for it is he?) - Ah yes, Zog. Apparently he banned the veil and swore his coronation oath on both a bible and a koran. His wife only died four years ago. Attila the Stockbroker wrote a song / poem about him.
Presumably everyone on the planet knows that C.B Fry (another Croydon chap) was offered the throne of Albania.
Back on the other ZOG, a map PH might enjoy
Nick?????where's the post that started it.put it back on
someone tell,I've been away from my desk.
He's only gone and deleted it now....
Yes I did
I get the impression that "his grace" is a doddering old fossil and I have no desire to bully him.
Talking of Albania I have my hair cut by a depressed Albanian serb .
charges £6 ,tells me how shit life is and never once has he asked me where I am going on my holidays.
All this just of Abbey rd,If anybody else ca find a cheaper haircut in such a prestigious location I would lke to hear about it.
Well that's between the two of you....
Can't be much fun being a Serb these days, although I have some sympathies with them.
*Not* asking about your holidays? Diabolical. I've still got the hump that I have never been asked if I want something for the weekend. Great barbers I have known include one in Berwick St which has skin mags in the waiting area rather than the usual car mags, a Turkish chap in Clapham who can do a haircut and say no more than 'How do you want it?' at the start and then say 'seven pounds' or whatever at the end, and the Algerian up the road from Croydonian Towers who I speak French to.
I like Indian barbers,tehy do yer nasal and ear as a matter of course without the embarassing question in front of the room.
hair...
Very sporting of them, but I'm not sure I'd want someone else's scissors up my nose. An offer of eyebrow trimming is probably the most infallible sign of middle age. Sigh...
Anyway, off out for a bit.
Just been thwarted
the albanians was crowded , went up the rd to a mohammedan place and I rather got the impression after a 20 minute wait that they dont cut christain hair
I had no idea C.B Fry hailed from Croydon.
IT - fancy, eh? They don't say Sarf London is wunnerful for nothing, you know. I was North of the River earlier, and pleasant company notwithstanding, the wrong side of the river almost gave me a nose bleed.
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