Airstrip One

Robin Red Top

Robin Cook writes in the Sunday Mirror that we must "Get the Lads Home". But how do we do that Robin? It is going to be impossible to bring them back after a Parliamentary vote (no matter how corruptly obtained). Answer comes there none.

The fact is that the British troops are going to have to stay in Iraq until Saddam Hussein is toppled or until the Americans break their word on something. Until either of those two events we will lose far too much face to be taken seriously as a power that means business.

Unless the antiwar movement finds a plausible break point (and Saddam going is the earliest I can find unless the Americans make an official policy of using us as target practice) then we simply can't get our troops home. Of course the antiwar movement has a lot to do. The case for the invasion has not been made, and in fact is weaker every day we're in (where are those chemical weapons?), however we're there because we're there and with British troops involved in combat that is the only reason we've got. The fact that the case has not been made should be made repeatedly and apologists for the war should be taken apart. Escalation to other oil producers and threats to Israel Arab countries must be resisted.

But the big push of antiwar forces must be when Saddam leaves the presidential palaces and a reliable puppet is installed in Baghdad. Our troops will have done their duty. Sure there'll be a need for some troops to continue fighting the civil war and to act as a target for suicide bombers - but let the Americans clear up their own mess.

The time to call out British troops will come soon - but for now we must support them, no matter how stupid this war is.