Blair 'stands firm' on the future of Iraq

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 11/04/03 | Toby Helm

[Pokey78]

Tony Blair acknowledged yesterday that allied forces had suffered "a particularly grim seven days" in Iraq as ministers reacted with dismay to the death at the weekend of 16 American soldiers whose helicopter was shot down west of Baghdad.

Mr Blair's official spokesman made clear the Prime Minister was deeply shocked by the attack, but insisted that his resolve to bring stability to the country was "undiminished".

The spokesman said: "The Prime Minister totally condemned the attack yesterday. His thoughts are with the relatives and friends of those who died.

"This has been a particularly grim seven days in terms of casualties inside Iraq, for the coalition and the Iraqi people."

The tragedy should not, however, obscure the fact that much progress was being made "in large parts of the country", said the spokesman.

"Yes, there is a security problem in Baghdad and in the triangle around Tikrit but in the south normal life is returning and there is progress."

The threat came from elements of Saddam Hussein's regime and foreign terrorist groups who aimed to "test our resolve and to try to turn the clock back". "But at times like this we have to stay focused on what's at stake."

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, described the attack as "the worst single incident of this kind since the end of the large-scale military actions on May 1." He went on: "The security situation in that area is not satisfactory. But ... the US and its coalition partners are determined to get on top of it."

Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, refused to speculate on how many British troops would be in Iraq next year. He said the situation outside the Baghdad region - in both the north and the south - was "extremely encouraging"

He added: "Force numbers depend on security. We are working hard to improve that security . . . and to rebuild Iraq's economy and to return the economy to the people."

This was echoed in last night's vote in the US Senate, which gave final congressional approval to an $87.5 billion (£51.5 billion) spending package intended to stabilise Iraq.

George Osborne, the Conservative MP for Tatton, said: "The death of American troops over the weekend has increased the domestic pressure on President Bush to reduce the civilian and military commitment by the US to post-war Iraq.

"It is very important that both the United States and Britain resist that pressure and that what we started in Iraq . . .we now finish."

The commander of Dutch forces assigned to the British sector in Iraq twice refused to take his troops on patrol because the British could not share intelligence with him, it emerged yesterday. Lt-Col Dick Swijgman was told that he could not be given top secret intelligence produced from aerial reconnaissance imagery of the Saudi-Iraqi border because the Americans would not let the British pass it on.

[ex-Texan]

*BUMP*!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thanks, Pokey. Why aren't we sharing border intel with our Dutch allies on patrol?

Conservative MP for Tatton, said: "The death of American troops over the weekend has increased the domestic pressure on President Bush to reduce the civilian and military commitment by the US to post-war Iraq.

"It is very important that both the United States and Britain resist that pressure and that what we started in Iraq . . .we now finish."

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Ping for our awesome allies.
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If you want on or off my Pro-Coalition ping list, please Freepmail me. Warning: it is a high volume ping list on good days. (Most days are good days).

[xzins]

Actually, I wish they'd all quit saying they're "deeply shocked" and how this is a "tragedy." It's not that I don't understand that they're trying to demonstrate sympathy for the families and friends.

But the military units on the ground need to hear some iron in their backs. They need to hear "This low intensity war goes on. We are making progress in subduing SECTOR BY SECTOR the Sunni Triangle. Today we have had zero incidents in sector 17 after we cleared all buildings in our door to door campaign. We are continuing to totally clear foot-by-foot every square inch of these regions. And we are succeeding."

"These troops are honored by us for their courage in taking the fight to the enemy. The sacrifice will make freedom possible for America and Britain who are resolved to root out every vestige of those who would attempt to kill our citizens on our own soil."

"We have taken the fight to them. We are winning."

[prairiebreeze]

And we need to hear how many enemies we are killing on a daily basis. We never hear those stats.

Prairie

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[xzins]

I would not be so much interested in the stats on deaths because the Civil War proves that doesn't necessarily tell you who won.

I want to know who controlled the sector when the engagement ended.

I want to know if we advanced or stepped back.

[prairiebreeze]

I would not be so much interested in the stats on deaths because the Civil War proves that doesn't necessarily tell you who won

Agree on that. But we don't hear much about how we are killing the enemy. And it adds to the lop-sidedness of the reports we receive on the overall picture of how things are going.

I suppose the media thinks we are all too sensitive to hear about how we are killing all those Muslim terrorists who are just misguided in their thinking and need lots of understanding and then they will stop wanting to blow our heads off.

Prairie

[xzins]

I agree with you mostly.

I think the Department of Defense is extremely reluctant to do body counts because it is too reminiscent of a failed technique in Vietnam.

There is no one who believes then or now that body count = victory.

That said, I do agree with you that they need to come up with some response to the constant dripdripdrip of US soldier deaths. They need to regularly brief on "military" advances on the ground.

It is good that we have the civil sector advances in the reconstruction of Iraq, but we need to hear of military advances as well.

It's that simple, and you are extremely correct.

[blackie]

Ping for our awesome allies ~ Bump!

[bruin66]

And we need to hear how many enemies we are killing on a daily basis. We never hear those stats.

We don't need to go back to the "body count" reports ala Viet Nam, IMHO.

[prairiebreeze]

No I don't advocate body counts either. I just think the fact that we are killing the enemy, capturing etc, goes seriously un- or under-reported.

Prairie

[windchime]

Bump!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

"These troops are honored by us for their courage in taking the fight to the enemy. The sacrifice will make freedom possible for America and Britain who are resolved to root out every vestige of those who would attempt to kill our citizens on our own soil."

Amen, xzins. Great post. The troops need to hear this.

The world needs to hear this, too.

[xzins]

Sgt W, an active duty military friend, just mailed me this:

Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.
--Winston Churchill--

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Good quote. Please thank your wise friend for his service.

(The American people need to hear from our military more often).

~~~

 

A few of my favorites these days:

“Pessimism never won any battles.” ~ Dwight Eisenhower

 

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity. An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” ~ Winston Churchill

 

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"To have the United States at our side was to me the greatest joy. Now at this very moment I knew the United States was in the war, up to the neck and in to the death. So we had won after all!...Hitler's fate was sealed. Mussolini's fate was sealed. As for the Japanese, they would be ground to powder" ~ Winston Churchill

[PhilDragoo]

Now's not the time to go wobbly, Tony.

[Spruce]

[Alamo-Girl]

Indeed. Reminds me of the monument in the front of the Alamo which says (paraphrased): No surrender! No retreat! Rememer the Alamo!