Iraq meltdown

The focus of world events has shifted from Baghdad to Beirut where Olmerde, egged on by his Vice President, Lady Macbeth, can say with Macbeth ..."I am in bloodStepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more,Returning were as tedious as go o'er."

Nonetheless Iraq is in meltdown and the US / Coalition forces can and will do nothing. Moqtada Sadr’s Mehdi Army militia with at least 20,000 (well) armed men - and growing daily, will soon completely control Baghdad.

Barzani has held out from sending any peshmergas to help the embattled , third rate Maliki who went as a supplicant to Irbil on Monday seeking help, on Monday July 10th.

In the south, the UK forces having handed over a piece of desert to the Iraqi Police have hunkered down and accepted that the Mehdi Army are in total control of Basra.

The real fun will start when the Sh-ite forces decide to assault the Green Zone - cue pictures of Saigon Embassy retreat.

Meanwhile in Afghanistan ...... UK forces as their helicopters yield to heat, dust , inadequate maintenance, lack of spare parts, exhaustion of the few pilots and engineers ......