CNN correspondent Michael Ware said he believed the move (of British troops from Basra Palace to the Airport) would have little effect on Basra's security.
"The Brits have had no control for years," he said from Baghdad. "From the moment the British forces were deployed in the south, they didn't have enough troops.
"If you really want to change the underlying dynamic of the south, you must be ready to challenge Iran. They were not able, and did not have a public mandate, to do so.
"The British presence has been merely token. As British military intelligence officers told me two years ago, all they are doing there is trying to stay alive."
So what woz it orl for, guvnor?
"The Brits have had no control for years," he said from Baghdad. "From the moment the British forces were deployed in the south, they didn't have enough troops.
"If you really want to change the underlying dynamic of the south, you must be ready to challenge Iran. They were not able, and did not have a public mandate, to do so.
"The British presence has been merely token. As British military intelligence officers told me two years ago, all they are doing there is trying to stay alive."
So what woz it orl for, guvnor?
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