Just off the my Works rememberance service now

Oi I resemble that photo 😀

Ah but its not about cheaper oil NOW but about safeguarding a supply of oil in the FUTURE.

The Saudi King is not well, Saudi Arabia is a melting pot that will explode when he dies. There is a distinct possibility that continuing oil supplies from that area will be interrupted after he dies so by removing SH from Iraq and installing a Government in his place then Iraqi oil will be freely accessable on the world market.

This is presumptive that you do a good job of stabilising Iraq after SH …..oops!

The damage to the tail was IIRC an optical trick done with a silver foil like substance laid on the aircraft areas to make it look like it was missing, then a bit of camera trickery and voila !!

Ah but Face means so much more in the Arab world than it does in Iraq

Snapper, ASHAMED!!!!! Of the British Army for doing the job they were trained to do!!! I dont get it. Ashamed of the Political Leadership yes but not the army.

Anyway I think we are all agreed that this was a stupid war to get involved in in the first place, they went in with too few troops with no exit strategy and whilst they had a UN mandate it wasnt exactly the clear one. (and I agree that the link to 9/11 is tenuous to say the least)

And in any case I think we may well have lost sight of who Saddam was, what he controlled (massive Oil reserves) and what he had done in the past.

In short I dont disagee with everything you say, with the exception of Snapper (I agree about the size thing though, quite ridiculous) I just dont agree that we should turn and run because we have got ourselves in a difficult situation.

Condemnation of the Insurgents who are not only targetting Soldiers but ordinary Iraqis anyone?

Oh give it up!!!!

Should be bring them home, emphatically NO!!
They are Soldiers, in their own words “this is what we do” it is inevitable that there will be casualties. It is still despite all the headline still only a small minority of Iraq that is fighting, my guess is that most Iraqis are wary of supporting the Troops because of past experirnces, whan the uprising at Fallujah is crushed (my guess is that even the Americans will succeed with this one) then there will be more support for the troops from the local populace.

Even tralking about bringing them home in the British press is giving the Enemy hope. They are there to stay until the job is done.

I am currently wearing my Poppy with immense pride.