Remember the British pullout that led to all of the lawlessness and killings? It turns out to have been triggered by a disastrous deal struck with a Shia prisoner, Ahmed al-Fartusi, who promised that the release of him and his men (and the withdrawal of British forces) would stop the violence. Instead, they unleashed a torrent of shootings and bombing — most directed at the withdrawing British.
The admission can from Colonel Richard Iron who admitted that the deal was “understandable but inexcusable.”
It appears that al-Fartusi, said he could put a stop to the killings. So the British released 120 of the prisoners and started to withdraw from the town. The British were then attacked and lawlessness returned.
In March, in the so-called Charge of the Knights, 15,000 Iraqi troops, backed by the British and Americans, finally returned and took over the Shia militia strongholds.
For the full story, click here
I find it hard to believe that the British are inept and got something wrong. But then again, the smartest Brits, Benny Hill and John Cleese didn’t join the Army for some reason.
I rather doubt there is an ounce of truth to this story.
Seriously now, coming here and reading the trash news posted here is almost as bad as the NYT….
Come on JT: not everybody in America is as gullible as you think.
I remember when this withdrawl took place it was covered quite differently in the US and Britan. In the US it was touted as a major success. At the same time on the BBC it was reported to be a somewhat illusory accomplishment. They reported things were so dangerous in Basra that it had taken the troops hours to get to the very nearby airport where they encamped and stayed.
It is so difficult to get any idea of what is really happening in Iraq. When even the MSM of two allies present the same event in a totally different light I know we’re not being given accurate information. If someone has found a consistently good source for info, would you please post to this site?
martha (probably martha h):
“Come on JT: not everybody in America is as gullible as you think.”
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Some are much more.
It looks like Briitsh have some serious egg to clean off their faces on this one. How many British soldiers lost their lives or were injured when they left and how many more British and American and Iraqi soldiers were injured or killed in order to gain control of the city? In most professions, an error of that magnitude would cost some jobs. Who lost their job over this huge blunder?
It might have been a bit of wishful thinking that they could leave and everything would be hunky dory. Iraq is broken, it will never be fixed.
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