The Failure Of British Policy In Iraq

Out of Basra: A convoy of British armoured vehicles on the
ten-mile trip from the city's palace to the airport base

Secret deal kept British Army out of battle for Basra

A secret deal between Britain and the notorious al-Mahdi militia prevented British Forces from coming to the aid of their US and Iraqi allies for nearly a week during the battle for Basra this year, The Times has learnt.

Four thousand British troops – including elements of the SAS and an entire mechanised brigade – watched from the sidelines for six days because of an “accommodation” with the Iranian-backed group, according to American and Iraqi officers who took part in the assault.

US Marines and soldiers had to be rushed in to fill the void, fighting bitter street battles and facing mortar fire, rockets and roadside bombs with their Iraqi counterparts.

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Six days on the sidelines left Britain facing wrath of allies in Basra

A mortar round exploded nearby as the US Marine stepped on to the street in Basra, forcing him to dive back inside his combat vehicle for cover.

“That was the first time that I thought, OK, this is serious, we are not playing games any more,” said Lieuten-ant-Colonel Chuck Western, one of the first Marines to venture into the city in late March to support an Iraqi-led offensive against gangs of well-armed militia.

Holed up at an old police station, the 400-strong battalion of Iraqi soldiers was taking a pounding, but the men cheered at the sight of their team of seven military advisers – embedded officers and soldiers who help to train Iraq’s fledgeling forces.

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'This was a bad time for Army. But the city is now safer'

The repercussions of the decision to withdraw the last 500 British troops from Basra city last September are only now beginning to unfold.

While the British Government insists that handing responsibility for security to the Iraqis was right, in retrospect the withdrawal was premature, leaving the military commanders blind to what was going on in the city: in effect a takeover by Iranian-backed Shia militia and criminal groups. “It was a bad day for the British Army,” one senior defence source has admitted to The Times.

Worse still was the small print of the deal fixed between the British military and leaders in Basra of the Shia al-Mahdi Army – supporters of the fiery cleric Moqtada al-Sadr – under which it was agreed that Britain’s military would stay out of the city and remain encamped at its base at the airport.

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My Comment: When the fight for Basra started this spring, I felt it odd that the British were not directly involved. Now I know why.

When 15 British marines were kidnapped by Iranian Revolutionary Guards in the Persian Gulf .... now I now why also.

The rules of engagement are being administered from politicians in the U.K., not by commanders on the ground.

When I think of Afghanistan .... I bet any amount of money that the same problems exist. No wonder the security situation is crumbling in the regions that the British administer.