Anarchy in the UK

Candor is dangerous in these oh-so-carefully worded times. In Britain, army commander General Richard Dannatt sparked a controversy when he was quoted as saying that British troops should leave Iraq "sometime soon because our presence exacerbates the security problems."

Parsing began immediately; now both the general and Prime Minister Tony Blair have "clarified and contextualized" the general's comments. All seem to agree that British withdrawal is contingent on completing the mission. A stiff upper lip version of Stay the Course, so to speak.

Public solidarity notwithstanding, the general's statements reflect a real difference between the government and its army, namely, the army's concern that an open-eneded commitment in an uncertain mission environment will harm the army. As General Dannatt says,

"I am just saying, 'Come on, we can't be here forever at this level.' . . . I have got an army to look after, which is going to be successful in current operations, but I want an army in five years' time and 10 years' time. Don't let's break it on this one. Let's keep an eye on time," Dannatt said.

"Let's face it, we have been there three and a half years," he said. "We have an interest in getting on with this."

Not unlike similar reservations now current within the US military. And for those who take the general's public reconciliation with the prime minister at face value, the rift over Britian's involvement in Iraq remains very real.