I have to agree with Seaweed.

The Yanks and Little Johnny won't admit that they have already lost the war. These are tribal people we are dealing with and democracy is not part of their culture. If it was, their leaders would accept concensus and compromise, but this will not happen. Power is what it is all about.

The best thing that should happen, is to go back to the three main Shi'ite, Sunni, and Kurd areas and let each area sort out what they want. There is going to be more bloodshed, whichever way it happens, but at least, there will be less lives lost in total as is happening while this civil war lasts.

It would appear that both the British and Australian troops have played a more successful role in stabilising the areas under their control. Perhaps this is because they do not use the "Brute force and ignorance" methods of the Yanks.

The proportionately lower casualty rate amongst our troops seems to bear witness to that, so from a strategic point of view, it might be better if the Yanks all went home and we sent a few more of ours over to show them how it should be done. (I am only half serious here)

Tony Blair has declared that he will to pull half of his Iraq troops by Christmas.

These troops are in a zone of Iraq that was now considered safe.

Our troops are in a safer zone again.

And now overnight the Daines have pulled out all their troops.

But King Rat is sending more.

I know King Rat is infautated with Georgie Boy but this getting way out of hand.

In 2003 King RAT said this:

"It is our intention to ensure that the period of coalition control is kept to a minimum and that the responsibility for governing Iraq is taken up by an Interim Iraqi Authority as soon as practicable. This will be the first step on the pathway to representative government"

Yeah Sure.

Any partition created/imposed by the Americans will suffer the same fate as any government created by the Americans. Once the American effective power goes such government/partition will be like smoke in a breeze. To assume that a partition can be imposed is in the same category as assuming that the US can impose an effective government which will endure after the Americans leave. The only solution that will last is one that the Iraqis accept (or arrive at after fighting it out).

The Americans are unlikely to withdraw while Bush remains in power.

Isn't it interesting that Clinton was impeached for a sexual peccadillo while Bush, who does not have a tenth of Clinton's integrity, has lied to the Americans, dishonestly led them into an illegal war for the benefit of his rich friends, perverted the rule of law and damaged America and the world significantly is not even in danger of such action. Says a lot about US politicians who are elected by the people but who govern for the rich corporations.

Ultimately, I foresee in Iraq something similar or equivalent to the scenes in Saigon as the last Americans fled from the embassy rooftops in helicopters when that city fell to the North Vietnamese - only the Americans will suffer much more (self induced) humiliation this time.