Empire, Islamism, and Rediscovering Whoopass
Yesterday, Gordon Brown went to Iraq:
The Times - Britain and Basra
Brown must show a willingness to confront extremists in southern Iraq
Yet, despite these circumstances, the contrast between recent trends in Basra and Baghdad is uncomfortable. In the aftermath of the overthrow of Saddam, the British establishment took pleasure in celebrating the comparative peace of its patch as compared with the turmoil which the allegedly unsophisticated American army was struggling to handle in the Iraqi capital and the surrounding “Sunni triangle”. This comparison was explained away at one level by recent UK experience in Northern Ireland or, by the diplomatic grandees, because this country had “done empire” in the Middle East and so appreciated the kind of subtle compromises with the locals that were needed for an outside power to hold sway. This analysis looks far less convincing after the success of the US “surge” this year and the reversion of British military personnel to Basra airport. A more muscular, and smarter, approach pioneered by General David Patraeus has delivered striking dividends. This has certainly not been matched in Basra.
There is, regrettably, precious little time left to change the political dynamics in Basra, but what opportunity exists should still be seized. An unduly hasty withdrawal from the city simply to satisfy short-term popular opinion at home would be undignified and counter-productive. It would further encourage fanatics who are already convinced that Britain is not committed to anything more than “stability” in this part of Iraq, even if it has come by allowing one section of a community to smother all others. What resources remain must be deployed to promote democratic institutions, encourage a free and diverse press and to entrench, as far as it can be done, the liberties of women. The year 2007 has broadly been one of real success in Iraq. It is not evident, alas, that Basra is part of that positive story.
Today, Gordon Brown is in Afghanistan:
The importance attached by Nato to success in the battle for Musa Qala is justified. The assault, which started on Friday, matters for its strategic value, but even more because the town has become a symbol of the Taleban’s ability to resist Nato and Afghan forces.
Musa Qala is the only town in Afghanistan undeniably under the control of Islamists. It is also a crossroads for the opium trade, which Western forces fear is paying for the insurgency. It took on those twin roles when Britain handed over its control to local Afghan leaders, who failed to keep out the Taleban as they had promised.
The Taleban have extracted huge propaganda value from the failure by Nato and Afghan forces since then to chase them out. Britain has also suffered a blow to the central plank of its strategy: to hand over control of towns and provinces to Afghan forces. It needs to show that the strategy can hold good if it is to make almost any kind of progress across the country.
Times Online - Gordon Brown visits Afghanistan as Taleban stronghold falls
Hmmm.
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