Black day for Blair in mounting mayhem

YESTERDAY was a black day for Tony Blair.

With news of another 23 deaths in Iraq, the Prime Minister may shortly be peering into the dark abyss of political disaster.

It is now 10 months since hostilities in Iraq were officially deemed over. Yet his problems are far from over.

It is a stark situation - not just on the political front but at military level.

The coalition has failed to find WMDs, fatalities both civilian and military are rising and the horrifying prospect of a civil war draws ever closer.

Yet the choices in front of President Bush and Mr Blair are equally as stark.

Withdrawal of troops is simply not an option. We plunged Iraq into this chaos - to walk away now is utterly unpalatable.

But rebuilding a nation takes time, money and a huge amount of manpower - and as the pounds and casualties mount, time is not on either leader's side.

So what is the solution?

First, the US must recognise an Iraqi life is as important as an American life. Then maybe the Iraqis will not be left as vulnerable as they are.

Those loyal to the memory of Saddam Hussein are all too aware their countrymen are easier targets than US soldiers bristling with firepower.

It is time the US also acknowledged that fact.

The US also needs to adopt the more successful British approach in Basra.

Patrolling in armoured vehicles does not make for good peacekeeping.

They are easy targets, their movements predictable and they stop soldiers gaining the vital intelligence they achieve by moving around on foot.

In Basra, British troops avoid patrolling in vehicles - it is a lesson learnt from years in Northern Ireland.

Mingling with locals gives soldiers a feel for what is happening - and what is round the corner.

Planting a bomb to kill troops on foot is far harder because you cannot predict which street they will move along next.

The approach on the ground must be one of minimum necessary force.

And there needs to be a clear statement of what the future holds for Iraq.

The situation in Basra at the moment is relatively calm. The situation in Baghdad and the American sector certainly isn't.

If Baghdad fails, then the whole of Iraq fails.

If Iraq fails, the PM's future will, at the least, be uncertain.

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