Chorus of Disapproval

Basra street cleaners clear up after Major "Basra" Burbidge's Police Station clearance

The BBC airwaves have been clamorous with the excited views of Major "Basra" Burbidge about the sacking and desctruction of al-Jamiat Police Station in Basra.

The assault force is now reported to have now grown to include 600 Iraqi soldiers as well as five Challenger tanks and roughly 40 Warrior fighting vehicles, plus a combat bulldozer. The number of prisoners released and transferred, vary wildly but has seemed to settle at about 127. The number of escaped prisoners is unknown.

On BBC4 News at 1300 GMT 26th Dec. Stephen Gray reported that the much feared Specialist Crime Unit was actually a product of UK "mentoring" and that as long ago as February 2004, it was reported that the station had become a focal point for the most corrupt elements of Basra's new British-trained police forces.

There has been no evidence that any of these renegade Police were apprehended on the day - although much documentation / computers had been retreived. It is evident however that the assault was expected and the New York Times reports that ...several dozen,(members of the serious crimes unit ) according to the British military, fled and were not caught.

What is now evident is that this massive and anticipated 3 hour military effort -

“We received information late last night,” Major Burbridge said Monday, “that the crimes unit was aware this was going to take place and we received information that the prisoners’ lives were in danger.”

..... is receving no public support, approval, explanation or even acknowledgement by anyobody in the US / UK ,ilitary establishment, or political empires in London or Washington.

Even FCO mouthpiece "Rentagob" Howells has remained silent.

Meanwhile out there we have the armed renegades running wild, running loose. Running the streets, which are now vacant.

A History Lesson or 2

Training of Iraqis proves easier said than done
December 5th 2006 Financial Times Special report on Iraq after Baker report published - some relevant quotations

Duncan Anderson, head of war studies at the UK’s Sandhurst military academy, said large numbers in the army are not being paid. .......

Mr Anderson said there are too many police: Basra, which was assessed to require 6,000 policemen, has 37,000, a majority of which are worse than useless. He suggests the solution is to disband the police force – paying suitable financial incentives – and rehire a smaller, more professional force.

Antony Cordesman, a former US military intelligence officer now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told an audience last week.....

" ....his assessment of the police was even more negative. The department says it has no way of knowing how many people are in the police or how effective they are."

Anthony Cordesmann wrote the highly important "Planning for a Self-Inflicted Wound: US Policy to Reshape a Post-Saddam Iraq" December 31st 2002 (ie months before the invasion) about post war Iraq and foretold with terrible accuracy the dilemma that the US now finds themselves in - months before the invasion.

A vital document to read to fully understand how the seeds of defeat were sown before the illegal invasion.