Iraq, Obama and the NYT

The New York Times: Reports the following on the Iraqi elections, " Defying a sustained barrage of mortars and rockets in Baghdad and other cities, Iraqis went to the polls in strength on Sunday....". It would be fun to speculate how the extreme liberal NYT would have reported the story if Bush 43 was still in the Oval, you could image the following, " Baghdad - The Bush surge has not stopped the violence, people are voting, but ethnic division is still a major factor that could lead to civil war..". But its President Obama that is in the Oval and he needs some success so the NYT is taking the line of the brave Iraq going to vote and in a bigger turnout than in 2005. At least the UK is out of Iraq, the invasion itself in military terms was fine, but afterwards it was a disaster, the Iraqi Government and the US had a negative view of the UK presence in Basra, it seems the MOD thought Basra was Northern Ireland, it might be now but not at the time the UK was there, thus it took Iraqi and US forces to bring order to the South.

Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that a British Soldier was killed on Sunday in Afghanistan, the soldier was from the " 1st Battalion The Rifles (1 RIFLES), serving as part of the 3 RIFLES Battle Group ". Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 272 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that total it has lost 239 in combat operations and 33 due to illness, accidents or other incidents. The MOD has to get a new plan for Sangin, thus far we have lost six soldiers this month and its only the 8/3/2010. The UK needs its own surge, it needs to clear Sangin and the area around, the Taliban/Al Qaeda are focusing its attack on UK forces, simple reason is that there is an election this year in the UK. Thus PM Gordon Brown should argue and approve thousands of more troops for Afghanistan, even calling up more of the TA active or non active. This is a fight the UK can no longer afford to lose. The War in Afghanistan is the template of Wars for the 21 Century.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the name of the British Soldier killed on Saturday in Afghanistan, the soldier was " Rifleman Liam Maughan of 3rd Battalion The Rifles ". Our thoughts are with the family of Rifleman Maughan.