Sir John Chilcot’s Iraq inquiry is drowned out by the snow and the Brown plotters but things could get interesting again tomorrow, writes the Iraq Inquiry Blogger.
We aim for at least two entries a day here at the Iraq inquiry blog but someone much web-savvier than me (which, admittedly, could be almost anyone) recently suggested that less is more when it comes to the quieter days – and this was certainly one of those.
With at least half the country snowed-out and the other half – alright, Westminster – running round headless chicken-style over the Brown leadership challenge, I’ll take shameless advantage and start the long trek home, London Transport permitting.
Tomorrow the inquiry focuses exclusively on Operation Charge of the Knights, Prime Minister Maliki’s military push from March 2008 onwards to cleanse Basra of militias.
Although several witnesses have described Knights as an eventual success we’ve also heard how it took the coalition by surprise.
It also ended up slowing the British army’s draw-down – the gradual reduction of troop numbers aiming finally at total withdrawal – to the extent that it wasn’t achieved until the end of 2009.
Lt-Gen Barney White-Spunner was responsible for multi-national divisions in the south east of Iraq from Feb-Aug 2008; Nigel Haywood was Basra Consul-General from 2008-09; while Keith Mackiggan was a secondee from DfID and head of the Provisional Reconstruction Team Sep 2008 – Apr 2009.
Best of British getting home if you braved going out today – and lucky you if you didn’t… See you tomorrow x
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