The Washington Post (14/6/2008) summarises the U.S. position in Iraq presently. All parties have an eye on upcoming elections and, no, the American presence is greatly resented. Do the politicians support Americans or Iraqis. In consequence U.S. plans for staying on after a U.N. mandate runs out at the end of the year have been rejected. Perhaps Bush’s successor won’t have a difficult choice after all. At the same time militant groups are calling for renewed attacks on American troops.
Another matter of concern is the Iraqi government’s refusal to offer guarantees for the huge number of civilian personnel now involved in Iraq – and party to killing and abuse of Iraqi civilians. Such is the anger at their role that the government dare not offer support to employees of Blackwater, Haliburton et al – some of which have bases in UK.
Meanwhile back at the ranch as they say, George W. is talking about the defeat of barbarism. Someone sent me these pictures of Baghdad before and after 2003 with the comment “look and weep”. This beside the human consequences – and he continues with more of the same in Iran.

As demonstrators massed in Parliament Square and attempted to enter Whitehall Gordon Brown entertained Bush. As five coffins were flown from Afghanistan Brown was promising the discredited President more troops – and no timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. All this is unbelievable given that Blair has long gone, and Brown initially at pains to distance himself now endorses. The United States, in spite of its own economic difficulties, continues to be able to dictate terms which are irresistible across the globe – unless you are Cuba or Venezuela. Look what happens to you if you dare contradict the message, never mind its Neocon provenance.
Mr President is described as the lame duck of lame ducks, but just now seems as dangerous a time as any. The man has a mission and considerable if not unlimited power at his elbow. He has at once held back progress on emissions and climate change and charged full tilt at “terror”. The world’s biggest terrorist (along with his Israeli friends) is feted by governments as he bids farewell. Does this look like the end? Not to me it doesn’t, as he once famously remarked “you ain’t seen nothing yet!”
Up date: major oil companies to return to Iraq. This is what it’s all been about so US and global interests will have got what they wanted irrespective of its cost in both money and humanity.