The withdrawal of British troops from Basra, Iraq

"The British withdrawal from Basra Palace [Iraq, Sunday, September 2nd] might not have been defeat as such - there was no panic, no Saigon-style helicopters, and no triumphal enemy firing that we know of - but it was hardly victory, was it ?", comments columnist Mary Dejevsky. "Anyone under the illusion that we can still salvage some honour from Iraq, however, should attend to the noises off, specifically those issuing recently from Washington and London. First, the US General John Keane questioned the British contribution; then General Sir Mike Jackson described US policy as 'intellectually bankrupt'. ... The US Defence Secretary at the time, Donald Rumsfeld, is a favourite target of British critics, for ignoring or dismissing their warnings. ... Do those who led us into this war still cling to the notion that the war was a brilliant idea, brilliantly executed - until Mr Rumsfeld and his inept planners mangled the follow-up ? Or are they just saving their skins ?"

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