The British in Basra – did they deliver?

FROM ROS:  

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THE BRITISH IN BASRA – WAS IT WORTH IT?

It was 21 March 2003 that British and American troops entered Basra. Yesterday, 16 December 2007, Basra was returned to Iraqi authority. Before the invasion, Tony Blair spoke of Britain helping to rid the world of a dangerous leader, of helping to bring stability to the Middle East, of creating a safer and fairer society for Iraqis to live in. Now it’s over, how do you judge the contribution of the British?

America – lead, follow or get out of the way?

AMERICA LEADS?

Well it’s all over in Bali at the climate change conference. The talks ended in agreement on a “roadmap” for negotiations on a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol. But has the lack of concrete targets for cutting greenhouse gases left you feeling a bit let down?They certainly felt let down in Papua New Guinea. Their representative told the U.S. delegation in Bali to lead, follow or “please get out of the way.”

Are they onto something here in PNG? What about other global issues of the day – Iran, the global economy, defence, Darfur, the Middle East…. Do we want America to stand firm and lead the world, or should they simply get out of the way?