Category Archives: Iraq

The reasons and morality of the conflict, and why I opposed that particular war, waged by that particular coalition, at that particular time.

“Get out or die”

Posted on 14 September 2007 by Robert

A Tornado is only useful at winning a conventional air war against a recognisable, conventional army. Interpreters are surely key to succeeding when we become embroiled in an unconventional, guerilla insurgency. If we send out the message that the British leave their allies high-and-dry, then we will soon find that the well of linguists dries up when we intervene in future conflicts. Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Iraq | 1 Comment

Bring your own MP

Posted on 5 September 2007 by Robert

More on ‘We Can’t Turn Them Away’: Lack of speed is killing.  One ex-Royal Engineer told me on the phone last night about a man he recruited in 2003 who hoped to build a new Iraq, then fled the country, and then was murdered at … Continue reading →

Posted in Iraq, Politics | Leave a comment

Open Source Campaigning

Posted on 25 August 2007 by Robert

The next task for the “We Can’t Turn Them Away” campaign will be a honing excercise. Of all the MPs in the House of Commons, it is especially important to get comments and messages of support from those who have army regiments based in their constituency. The hive-mind needs to itemise every regiment who has worked in Basra (and therefore benefited from the local Iraqi workforce in some way), and then identify the relevant MP. Continue reading →

Posted in Internet Philosophy, Iraq, Media | 6 Comments

Missing Britons in Iraq

Posted on 19 August 2007 by Robert

Its a shame that these five men have indeed been forgotten. If they are listening to a radio somewhere, they will hear no mention of their plight. Continue reading →

Posted in Iraq, Media | 12 Comments

What’s the Arabic for..?

Posted on 17 August 2007 by Robert

The campaign grows to grant asylum for all those Iraqis who have worked for the British Armed Forces in Iraq. Bloggerheads publishes a list of bloggers who support the campaign, while Chicken Yoghurt and Pickled Politics have been keeping track … Continue reading →

Posted in Iraq, Politics | Leave a comment

We can’t turn them away

Posted on 25 July 2007 by Robert

Interestingly, the recent successful campaign to allow one former ghurka (a holder of the Victoria Cross, no less) to be given UK citizenship was also propagated online. So Dan Hardie’s initiative stands a good chance of success. Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Iraq, Politics | 8 Comments

Radical?

Posted on 16 April 2007 by Robert

One feature of the coverage of the crisis in Iraq, is the birth of compound nouns, words that cannot exist without their modifying adjectives.  Thus we hear about “The-Holy-City-of-Najaf” and “The-Radical-Shia-Cleric-Moqtadr-Al-Sadr.” Is ‘radical’ still the word we should use to … Continue reading →

Posted in Iraq | 1 Comment

Saddam’s Death: The Revolutionary’s Cut

Posted on 3 January 2007 by Robert

We would do well to consider the possibility that the bootleg video is unreliable too. We should remember that the footage has been released by someone who wishes to foist a particular historical narrative upon us. Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Internet Philosophy, Iraq, Politics | 4 Comments

Labour MP: “Please help me find something interesting to do”

Posted on 3 November 2006 by Robert

Labour MP Austin Mitchell has a weblog. He has a ‘general ramblings’ spot, where he writes a light-hearted. His latest entry chronicles a set of missed divisions because he has forgotten ‘Whip-speak’, and finishes thus: Having seen how much David … Continue reading →

Posted in Iraq, New Labour | Leave a comment

War and Peace at T’Sharpener

Posted on 27 October 2006 by Robert

Its been a little while since I engaged with the Iraq War debate. A short piece from me at The Sharpener resurrects the perennial argument of whether it was right to invade when we did: Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere, Iraq | Leave a comment