Brown's Wars

Today The Independent published a three-part story called Brown's Wars (Part 1: Under attack in the UK; Part 2: Meltdown on the frontline in Basra; Part 3: Overstretched in Helmand province) as well as stories on the car bomb attack at Glasgow Airport (Terror at Terminal 1: Horrific scenes as two men crash Jeep into airport).

Britain's new prime minister wasn't allowed a quiet entry to Downing Street 10. Two cars bombs were defused in the center of London, while Glasgow Airport was attacked by a flaming Cherokee Jeep. The terror alert was raised to the highest “critical” level. Passengers arriving at Glasgow Airport were stuck in their planes, unable to disembark. While the three attempted attacks didn't succeed in causing any casualties, they did succeed in spreading “terror”, “making the public feel uneasy wherever they go, causing disruption and economic damage.”

What is Gordon Brown to do? Attacks in Britain are directly linked to British actions in the Middle East. In Afghanistan, the British are losing the fight against the Taliban. Five years of Karzai government has not brought any improvement in the dismal living standards of the people. Afghanistan has one again become – under the noses of NATO commanders – a major producer of opium.

In Iraq, the remaining British troops are holed up at their base at Basra airport. When they do come out, they are killed. They only provide shooting targets, acting as a magnet for insurgent attacks, the city of Basra itself under the control of militias.

“The week's events tested the new Prime Minister in a way no one could have predicted.” (The Guardian: 'There was a man on fire. It was terrifying') If Gordon Brown wants to avoid carnage at home, he should call British troops back from Afghanistan and Iraq and denounce U.S. aggression. And lest we forget, call back Tony Blair as Middle East envoy. Stop the aggression and war crimes and the “terrorists” – even though they may very well be fanatics – are unlikely to attack. That is not capitulation, it is the right thing to do. Brown has got his work cut out for him, but will he deliver? Unlikely.