Report: US Wants British To Lead New "Surge" In Southern Iraq

Agence France Presse:

The US plans to urge Britain to launch a "surge" in Basra to combat increasing violence in the southern Iraqi region, the Sunday Mirror newspaper reported.

Britain, which has around 4,100 troops in Iraq, transferred control to Iraqi forces in December last year but could now be asked to step up its role again amid top-level concern about the situation, the paper said.

It quoted an unnamed senior US military source saying: "Three big militias are currently engaged in a particularly bloody battle in southern Iraq.

"US and Iraqi forces are involved in a huge operation to attack an Al-Qaeda stronghold in Mosul.

"But after that, the plan is to turn the coalition's attention on to Basra and we will be urging the British to surge into the city.

"If they do not have enough troops, then they will be offered US Marines to help out.

"The feeling is that if southern Iraq is hugely unstable, it will affect the success of the surge in the north and destabilise the whole country."

The source added: "The proposal to go back into Basra is being examined at the highest level in Baghdad."

US military commanders say that a "surge" of 30,000 US troops since last January is partly responsible for a dip in violence in Iraq.

Keep reading.

Read the whole story: Agence France Presse

Comments

[Whinger]

Dream on idiot boy, Gordon Brown is not Tony Blair.

[ribe8g]

Onward Christian Soldiers, Marching AS to war
May the Gullible Cits of u.k. u.s revel in the gore
Your greedy, loathesome leaders rotten to the core

Not much of a poet, obv, but talk of troooops such a bore.

Get out of Iraq - Not wanted there, Not supported here.

4,000 dead (acknowledged), but what a successful kill ratio !
Looka how many they've murdered in a war of choice for the
bush goons.

[Sundialsvc4]

Yeah, you could call it "The Crusades, Episode IV," if you want to.

[globalwarmingisgreat]

Response from British: Sorry, but you'll have to start paying us in Euros or Sterling. It seems you can't afford our help any more.

[ExPatriot70]

I hope that Brown tells the idiot bush to go hell and then continues to pull the British troops out of that hell hole. The shrub is the lamest of lame ducks and it would be best if no one actually paid to much attentiion to what he wants, much less give it to him

[Londonliberal]

Some points about this report::-

1. The newspaper is the Mirror - a newspaper which has been consistently against the Bush/Blair "Enterprise of Iraq". If it is trailing a request from the Bush Administration, it is in order to foment opposition to the request;

2. As many commentators have noted "Poodle" Blair has gone. While, Brown is every bit as pro-American as Blair was, he is behind in the polls. He knows that his party and the public want the UK out of Iraq as soon as possible;

3. He is being told by his military advisers that the UK cannot keep up a commitment to both Afghanistan and Iraq;

4. He is told by his terrorism experts that the British presence in Iraq foments Islamist terrorism;

5. There is no "pro-surge" faction in the UK.

6. Brown is not stupid.

There will be no increased commitment of troops. There may be a slow-down in the rate of withdrawal or some kind of "show" put on, but nothing of any significance.

[loki]

Now we will see just how big of a lapdog Blairs replacement will be.
Im sure Blair is doing very well financially since bending over for Bush, that might be just the incentive the new PM needs to get more young Englishmen and women killed for American corporate power and greed.

[ROBOT8]

Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."
--Hermann Goering
"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, THE TRUTH IS THE GREATEST ENEMY OF THE STATE." -- Joseph Goebbels, German Minister of Propaganda, 1933-1945

[paixa3]

I, for one, have never bought into their bullshit. I wish another 230 million citizens would do the same. Replace congress, this administration and the idiotic supreme court justices with people who are honest, know how to think very well and have BALLS.

[BushBites]

After they're done working on his mess in Iraq, maybe the Brits can help Bush clean up the mess he made of the economy.

[Harvo]

They must have forgotten the poodle isn't there anymore.

[springsm]

Good grief, I hope Britain doesn't fall for this gig one more time. Bush WANTS ...geezus.

[CaptainVideo]

Brown should tell Bush to take his surge and shove it up his ear.

[karmafriend]

another delusional idea from the bu$h/cheney gang.

[BushBites]

Never let it be said they were dealing with reality.

[pc51]

Jesus, talk about beating a dead horse, when will these guys admit that they have completely and utterly failed to pull off their illegal war?

[AZM]

Why do I keep thinking about that story from ancient Greece where the king went to the oracle and asked her what would be the outcome if he attacked his enemy. She replied "you will destroy a great nation".

[plages]

Its a shame that the Delphic Sybil did again whisper into an un-hearing ear!

[GBecker]

Very powerful documentary just out - Body of War. http://www.bodyofwar.com/

Watch the trailer. Go see it when it comes to your town. Catch the interview with Phil Donohue (one of the producers) on C-Span. Get active with your representa­tives/sena­tors and get this war defunded.

BRING OUR TROOPS HOME! N O W!!!

Obama '08!

[esquire07]

Troops aint going noweher except to their grave.... to much at stake... Oil Profits and Arms deals. It is the job of US troops to die to fill the pockets of the Rich and powerful.

[BushBites]

War goes on, Oil prices go up.

It wasn't supposed to happen this way, was it?

[GoLeftGoDeep]

so not going to happen