The Germans and the Dutch have suspended training Iraqi soldiers citing increased tensions in the area. What do they know that Ron Mark doesn’t? Cabinet is due to make a decision shortly on our long-planned decision to withdraw, and Ron seems to want us to stay. Labour’s policy at the election was to withdraw, it should prevail.
Recent sabre-rattling by the US has undoubtedly made the region much more unstable. The US has also ordered all bar emergency staff to leave their embassy in Baghdad immediately.
US National Security Adviser John Bolton has advocated war with Iran previously. Should he get his way now, the consequences for all of us would be catastrophic.
National’s Mark Mitchell is another one who want us to stay till the last remnants of ISIS have been defeated. The caliphate is no longer a reality, and the remnants of ISIS have retreated to the desert. Stamping them out completely could take decades, and is not a task for us.
Increasingly there are also signs that the Iraquis would prefer to co-operate with Iran.
Job done – its time for us to say goodbye.
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