More "Progress" In Iraq

While George Bush touts the cooling down out in the Anbar province (thanks to deals with Sunni militias) other parts of the country are falling apart fast. Even though Baghdad has thousands more U.S. troops than before, chaos still rules the city. Things are even worse farther down in Basra where the British are planning on leaving.

From The Times Online (U.K.):

“I regret to say that the Basra experience is set to become a major blunder in terms of military history,” said a senior officer. “The insurgents are calling the shots . . . and in a worst-case scenario will chase us out of southern Iraq.”

Gordon Brown, the prime minister, has agreed with Bush that no decision will be made to withdraw until after General David Petraeus, the US commander, delivers a report to Congress next month on the progress of the Americans’ “troop surge”.

But the British are expected to pull back to a single base at Basra airport soon in preparation for withdrawal.

So for Bush's sake, PM Gordon Brown will wait for the Petraus White House report next month and then leave Iraq as soon as possible. It is a blunder for the Brits, but it is only because Tony Blair played the role of Bush's lapdog oh so well. At least Brown will be seen as the one who gets the U.K. out the mess.

Tony Blair Resigns, Takes Iraq Legacy With Him

Tony Blair announced today that he will be resigning as Prime Minister effective June 27th. The Labour Party, Britain and most of the world is truly grateful to see him go. Although his domestic policies have fared well, he will be most remembered for being Bush's faithful dog, following recklessly into the chaos that is Iraq. This move may indeed save the Labour Party in their upcoming elections, but we will see if it can get the U.K. out of the war any faster.

From the AP:

Blair announced his departure date two days after the formation of Northern Ireland's full power-sharing administration, a goal he spent much of his premiership striving to achieve.

But despite his accomplishments, Blair's legacy looks to be dominated by Iraq.

His decision to stand should-to-shoulder with President Bush by committing troops for the invasion divided his party and the country. Blair said he was content for history to judge him, but four years on and with almost 150 British troops dead in Iraq, the war is more unpopular than ever.

Blair got a decent farewell from party supporters , due to his leadership on the domestic front. Blair did a great many things for the less fortunate of Britons and of course that cannot be forgotten. However, with most politicians, they are generally remembered for one memorable policy in addition to their tact and character. Along with his famous grin, he will go down as a stooge of the Bush Administration, enabling the deaths of 150 British soldiers and giving Bush a solid ally for the occupation of Iraq for which Bush could lean on when he touted international support.