THINGS are not going well for British force in Basra. Two undercover soldiers arrested by local police after a firefight and a British tank ploughing through a prison wall to get them out after intelligence they were about to be handed over to militiamen by rogue elements at the police station.
Now, the local authorities in Basra are refusing to co-operate with British forces until they receive a full apology, compensation for the victims of the incident, and the surrender of the two SAS men to face Iraqi justice.
Clearly none of this is going to happen. British commanders have said that if faced with the same circumstances again, they would act in exactly the same way. And there was no way they were going to leave two of their men in the hands of a militia they had reason to believe were – at best – going to use them as bargaining tools for militia leaders held by the British – at worse – preparing to kill them.
At the same time, British forces are facing an increasing number of roadside bombs and attacks on their patrols. It all seems a long way from the hearts and minds campaign of a couple of years back, the images of British soldiers in soft hats walking through the streets and chatting with the children.
At the time, there was a strong feeling that British forces had got it right, that they understood far better than the Americans how to interact with local population and make their presence understood and accepted. The Americans stayed in their tanks and blasted their way through the slightest local difficulty, accumulating resentment against their occupation; the British reached out to the population and co-operated with local representatives, ensuring a far more peaceful occupation than in the American zones.
This was all undoubtedly true. But the fact is that the British have been in occupation of Iraq with the Americans for more than two years now, and things are only getting worse. While they may have been welcomed as liberators – especially in the Saddam-hating south – they have presided over a terrifying descent into anarchy and lawlessness.
Everyday life in much of Iraq is dominated by death, misery and hopelessness. Basic utility services are still non-existent in much of the country. Unemployment is huge – about 70 per cent in Basra alone – yet the country is rich in oil. And fanatics are sowing death and destruction on a daily basis, targeting not just the occupiers but everything and everyone in a bid to maximise the terror and instability.
In the circumstances, questions have to be asked about the value of remaining in Iraq. The occupation forces have become as much the cause of the chaos as its solution. Perhaps it is time to let the Iraqis fight their own battle against the fanatics, rather than allowing their cause to be tainted by association with the occupier.
