The Conservative case For Leaving Iraq

“. The Chief of the Army staff has, depending on your point of view, courageously spoken out on behalf of his troops, demanding their early withdrawal or he has committed a gross act of insubordination to his Commander in Chief. Much as I hate to agree with Soshlizt wukka twits at the station I would also like us out . Here are the Conservative reasons

. The US after, in effect, suffering another pearl harbour was bound to snuff out whatever rogue states in the Middle East they could. Discussions of UN legality and the effective causus bellum (WMDs) were a pantomime which even down to junior level was not taken at face value .The Conservative Party at least were well aware of that as they have since admitted on more than one occasion, . So was Tony Blair
The US is our closest and only meaningful ally, the main strut of international security and the power that has, in the last resort been our friend. We could, of course, behave like France, a legend for amorality in International affairs, and hide behind American power as the guarantor of security. Or we could support our ally and play an honest part in the real international relationships that defend Liberal democracy.

The key to this, by my reading, is in understanding both of the impact of 9.11 and the illusory nature of notions of legality in international relations (International law is a myth !). Servile news coverage mostly played along, focussing on what was ephemeral opinion management.I also think the lurking knowledge that this is the case is what so riles Liberals and other fantasists. The people they so despise, protect them as they protected Salman Rushdie (who sucks). This is a corpse under their tea table. It gives a rotting savour to the dainty hypocrisies they nibble upon and the querulous fury we hear in the fury of a child who knows he is in the wrong...
Once you throw away the veil (ho ho) it all starts to make more sense. The creation of a free and friendly Iraq was a laudable but secondary motive. We were there as part of our defence strategy in a wide sense and whether or not we could actually find WMDs at that time was not the issue. They would certainly have come.
In part, the US was taking advantage of a political window of opportunity to shore up its own security.
This dissonance between the real relationships in the world that are centred around NATO not the UN or the EU is why it is so easy to pick holes in play moralities that crop up . It resolves itself back to "rightness " in this way If Iraq had been a real sovereign state with real freedom then there would not have been problem in the first place ( With Iraq)
So far so good. Where, in my opinion we have gone wrong is in being tempted to play the major power on the world stage. We are no such thing and therefore have fewer obligations to do our bit. Some time ago we had done more than enough and should have set timetables for withdrawal that were achievable.Tony Blair would not tell this truth, he played his phoney hand because it's all he knows .Also he has (like other long serving Prime ministers) come to think of himself as a colossus on the world stage. All of this exaggerates our obligations to the point where we are risking British lives for the sake of "Looking important ". Nothing new there. You might put it this way. He has come to believe his own lies .I would like us out now and we would agree on this at least.
The core of my argument is in these ideas.
1 Continuity of international anarchy regularised only by ad hoc military accords and tribal loyalties
2 The strange language in which this is described for domestic consumption . ( UN baloney)

All of this by the way is why some of the Conservative Party are so furious that in backing the war they have been placed in the position of being liars . Some would have supported the war on the traditional grounds I describe. Not all though, and I believe it would have been a similar story had they been in power. I have only a limited sympathy for the Conservative position. "We would have gone to war for the right reasons"
Now, the young men and women are driving around in death-trap jeeps. They are poorly supported and used as toy soldiers. They should be home and safe as soon as reasonable practicable. They have ,as ever , performed marvellously despite scandalously inadequate equipment .