10-04-07, 9:39 am
But where to next?
Gordon Brown suggests that about 1,000 British troops who are bogged down in Basra could return home by Christmas – a familiar refrain from first world war commanders.
The Morning Star welcomes every indication of Britain's soldiers being extricated from an unwinnable war, but this is too little too late and the likelihood is that withdrawal presages a greater presence in Afghanistan.
There is no positive role for occupation troops in Iraq. They should all be withdrawn without further delay.
The Prime Minister's spin doctors have let it be known that Mr Brown had favoured a greater reduction in British troops numbers but that the White House had prevailed upon him not leave Basra province to Shi'ite militia groups and the border with Iran unguarded.
Washington's reasoning is, apparently, that US forces are already stretched to the limit in Baghdad and the so-called Sunni triangle and would not be able to deploy sufficient numbers to replace the British presence.
Both US Republican leaders and front-running Democratic presidential candidate Hilary Clinton have insisted that there should be no speedy evacuation of occupation forces from Iraq because it might be interpreted as a military defeat.
No matter how long the invaders remain, they have already been defeated. Their hopes of normality through occupation are in tatters.
The sooner that this reality is taken on board in London and Washington, the less likelihood there will be of the imperialist states launching wars of aggression in central Asia or anywhere else.
Mr Brown paid lip service to the 'courage, professionalism and bravery' of Britain's troops, claiming that 'the first thing on my mind today is the security of our armed forces.'
He ought to have gone down on his knees in apology to them for being part of the conspiracy led by George W Bush and Tony Blair to launch an illegal war, under false pretences, to secure regime change in Iraq, control its oil resources and assert US military domination.
All those who have perished as a result of this war stand as a permanent memorial to the duplicity and shamelessness of new Labour.
Amid an ocean of militaristic claptrap, shadow defence secretary Liam Fox was right on one point in his speech to the Tory faithful - Mr Brown's attempt to get through Labour Party conference with the barest mention of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The coupling of Mr Brown's effusive praise at Tuesday's military photo op with his 126 words on the wars at conference lays bare his political opportunism.
But Mr Fox's pledge to beef up our miitary budget is precisely what we do not need when public services, manufacturing, council housing and pensions are still underfunded.
The PM should not be able to get away with a continuation of Tony Blair's imperialist vainglory, wrapping himself in the butcher's apron and talking up military exploits.
The empire is gone and he should remember this.
In case of selective amnesia, next Monday's Stop the War Coalition march to Parliament, which Mr Brown's government has banned, using legislation that was passed before this country had adult suffrage, should serve as a reminder.
From Morning Star
