Michael Portillo looks at the Basra departure.

In the recent Sunday Times, former Conservative Minister Michael Portillo wrote a very perceptive article about our departure from Basra. He noted that the U.S military were getting a bit miffed about the British Army's supposed skills in counter-insurgency gained from Northern Ireland. Portillo also noted that the UK lacked the stomach for the Iraqi campaign. What was the point of having all our weapons such as nuclear etc?
www.searchaccountant.co.uk
However, what was heartening was the number of posts to the article from the United States, which praised the contribution of the British troops on the ground. There was a local post saying that we are such a small country (bankrupt one at that) we should not get involved.
My view is that Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who sees his main job as cutting military expenditure, should have had the courage of his convictions and pulled the troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, when he got the top job. We are in an impossible
situation. We can't win the wars and we will never get much leverage with the Americans. Commentators are suddenly noting that the British tortured Obama's grandfather in Kenya. Why he is going to support us?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article5375770.ece