Jim B, you are frighteningly propagandized. If you believe any of what you've been writing, I am truly afraid for our country. Stop drinking the Kool Aid, get some coffee, and wake up, man. You're being lied to.

Joey, Columbus, OH, USA

Please Mr. Brown. Don't abandon us. We have done our part. Don't let the bad men slaughter our beautiful people and country once your troops leave. We need you - our survival depends on it.

Asma Bint Marwan, Baghdad, Iraq

Firozali A.Mulla .....Sir, for an educated man, your comments are astoundingly simple. If oil were the purpose of our efforts, we could have taken that 4 years ago. Instead we stay and bleed and die to protect common Iraqi's from the extremist murderers who pour across the borders and join with saddams remnants in the hopes of retaining power and /or creating your religions mystical Caliphate. We stay to help Iraqi's build a modern free nation...we build roads, and hospitals, and schools, and power facilities, water facilities, all the infrastructure that a modern society requires. In the process, we hope to create a tradition of true freedom and self determination in a region that has known only misery and slavery to whichever thug happens to rule. You know your history...you know I am right.

Jim B, Chesapeake, Va/USA

John Adams from San Diego, I salute you Sir! Well stated.

Jim B, Chesapeake, Va/USA

Since little or no one has come to the aid of the US in the Iraq fight and now the Brits are going home, I say as an American, lets follow. Why should the US be expected to solve the worlds problems if no one else on the globe gives a damn. Bring everyone home and let the Iraq's kill each other if that's what they want to do. Really, in the end another Saddam like tyrant will take over anyway. Why sacrifice any more US and British lives. For what?

Jack, San Mateo,

Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher will go down in history as the greatest Prime Ministers since Churchill. Tony Blair, like Churchill, may not receive high respect when leaving office, but, in time, he will be recognised as one of the great leaders of the past 100 years.
Good luck to Mr. Brown. He will need it trying to follow Mr. Blair--a great friend to America and the free world; a true champion of freedom and human rights. History will show he and your armed forces represented you well at a pivotal point in time.
Having served 4 years in England during the Cold War, I shall always respect you British. We stood side-by-side in World Wars I and II; again, against the Soviet Communist threat; now we are once more standing together, this time against another grave threat to our liberty: world jehadism.

David Vilt, Redlands, California, USA

It will take the historians to record what a great man Tony Blair was and is.

He is an eloquent and great leader, a friend to the Iraqi's and to America. I personally would like to thank him for his steadfast support of the Iraqi war and his part in toppling Saddam and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

For those blinded by politics, someday you will realize what a great man headed your country. I only hope your new leaders won't throw away all the good because you will reap the consequences of the policy of surrender in ways you can't even imagine.

J DAvis, Austin , TX, USA

Those who claim, "Its about the oil, Its about the oil!!!", I have to ask.....
Do you drive a car? Do you heat your house with gas and oil products? Do you light you house with oil generated electricity? Maybe short term oil is the answer, but longer term we need "alternataives". Iraq is much bigger than "just the oil".

Phil, Peoria, AZ, USA

Unless and untill America and Britain (at least) can assert their authority as being impartial and based on justice, there is no end in sight to the conflict in Iraq.
Too many have been dispossessed of home and land who will continue to feel agrieved and seeking justice that whatever imposed settlement eventually is arrived at, the underlying conflict will remain and be sustained by their loss.
If the western powers cannot impose and uphold justice, the battle for minds and hearts is lost. If the courts cannot be the final arbiter of disputed property ownership, the ulcer of violence will continue to fester.
In the middle east as a region, Israel must be made to realise that the Divine Right of Jews to Palestine is in conflict with Democracy, Justice, and Law. Their's is the final solution; peaceful or violent - the choice is also theirs.

Michael McPhillips, Dublin, Ireland

A caring note to those who are too stupid to appreciate Tony Blair:
I realize full well that Britain also had its Chamberlains and apparenty stitt does.Unfortunately for today's free world we Americans must have inherited too many of his kin!

Bill Paul, Atlanta, USA/Georgia

Saddam Hussein sure wishes President Bush did not liberate Iraq from his henchmen. He could still be raping and killing my people. I thank the American people and Britsih people for helping my country build a democracy and freedom. God Bless Tony Blair and President Bush.

Mohammed Ajim, Baghdad, Iraq

Dave Bristol of the UK, what were the lessons of Vietnam from your perspective?
Here is what we know:
The U.S. never lost a battle in Vietnam
The North Vietnamese knew they could not defeat U.S.' military. Their only hope was to use the U.S. media, and radicals within to cause the U.S. to retreat.
U.S. citizens believed the media, primarily uncle Walter on CBS, so we did the dishonorable thing, leaving our allies to die.
Our allies were killed in battle, those not fighting were murdered later. The enemy then went into Cambodia and Laos, murdering millions (there really are "killing fields" were people were lined up and murdered). Jane Fonda and John Kerry celebrated. Returning U.S. military were spat upon.
Despite that, the US and UK still have honorable men and women, sacrificing for the Iraqis, the UK, the US and even thankless people who strangely think that freedom is our natural state, and does not have to defended, or fought for, people thinking they'll be exempt from terrorism.

John Adams, San DIego, USA/CA

Your first task is....Billions in Oil Missing in Iraq, U.S. Study Says .can we have some more bizarre news about Iraq. It has put Tony Blaire in a place no British ever went. Oil was the target for the USA attacking Iraq. So if few barrels are missing the oil in bulk with the new embassy built in Iraq, USA is still winning. VETO works and we call this democracy.The cat and mouse is only the showcase for the world to m=note that there is justice prevailing."With two carrier strike groups in the gulf, we’re sending clear messages to friends and adversaries alike. We’ll keep the sea lanes open. We’ll stand with our friends in opposing extremism and strategic threats. We’ll disrupt attacks on our own forces. We’ll continue bringing relief to those who suffer, and delivering justice to the enemies of freedom. And we’ll stand with others to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons and dominating this region."
VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY
What BIG word my my my.

Firozali A.Mulla MBA PhD, Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania

Due to the shocking weakness of resolve in the West, we are a few years away from a Middle East dominated by hostile states. We better start planning for it.

Let's see how the spoiled liberals react when the economy crashes.

Mike, atlanta,

PM Blair has been an inspirational leader for the Free World. While I disagree with his alliance with President Bush regarding Iraq, I truly apprciate what he has done for Britain. Like all leaders, he is not perfect, but first and foremost, he is a leader. I only wish that we had a leader in the US.

James M Campbell, St. Paul, MN

How is it an illegal occupation if the Iraqui leaders are begging the US and England to stay LONGER than Bush and Blaire have said they wanted to? And I am curious to hear theories on what the future state of Iraq will be like the day after the last British and American soldiers leave. I fear that a few years down the road, left-wing organizations like Amnesty International will be accusing America and England of doing nothing to stop the violence and bloodshed of thousands of innocent people in Iraq. Is there anyone left who realizes that sometimes you have to kill people to save lives?

Buster Leviathan, St. Louis, MO, United States

Brown says: "I do not believe politics is about celebrity". This from the same man who recently had a very public dinner with Kylie Minogue!

Bill Paul from Atlanta: you wish may come true. I hear Tony will be coming your way to make his millions from lectures and such like. You may keep him.

James, London, UK

It is a shame he went along with Blair's stance on Iraq, maybe if he and the rest of the New Labour government were not so eager to please and bow to Blair's every whim the situation may not have occured in Iraq.

However, it did and those who voted with Blair must accept the resposibility. It was only the likes of Robin Cook who was brave enough and made put his conscience before his privileged position and high salary. The rest of them followed like sheep, and need to examine their motives for voting for the deceit of WMD etc., which most knew never existed.

There must be an inquiry into Iraq, and those responsible MUST BE HELD TO ACCOUNT.

Pauline Hickey, Bradford,

Speak for yourself, Bill Paul. We actually have enough racist, corrupt, and destructive politicians here already (and no lack of them in Georgia, if you will forgive me pointing out the obvious). We do no need any more.

Since we Americans have torn up our civilized citizenship card, all I can say to anyone over there who still cares about what we say is: friends don't let friends invade other countries.

Margaret Jahn, Bellingham, Washington

To Bill Paul in Alanta

Re Tony Blair you can have him... and keep him if you really want.

Because we don't want him. I am sure he will make vast amounts of money from lecturing while, British and US soldiers die earning a pittance by comparison, for his and Bush's folly in Iraq.

To compare him to Churchill is ludicrous, Churchill got this country through one of the toughests periods of its history.

Blair has created problems where there were none, ie Islamic radicalisation in the UK. Had he stayed out of Iraq he would have been remembered for orchestrating peace in Northern Ireland. Now he will be remembered for causing years of problems for the UK.

I have served my country in Iraq, has it been worth the sacrifice my colleagues have made?

No! the lessons of Vietnam have not been learnt. Enforcing western standards on countries that have their own ways is simply wrong.

Dave, Bristol, UK

Well he would do, wouldn't he?

It's the single, biggest issue that prompts his fashionable dislike. Which itself prompts a group of questions fashionably ignored: so, then, what did you want exactly? - for Saddam Hussein to continue with his abuses?

Spin? What's equally ridiculous is the spin-off gossip that people fashionably pursue, following trends of likes and dislikes regardless of the complex moral and political issues they supposedly refer to, but don't.

Blair was a decent guy and an accomplished PM - one of the best we've seen. Fashionable gossip (liar! liar! etc etc - complete nonsense), was spin-off nonsense that created his donwfall.

You created it - yes, you, the masses - so now suffer the consequences of his absence, when there is no one in either party with his decency and calibre to take his place.

Joe, Manchester,

i am an American and World War II veteran who has long believed that Winston Churchill was the greatest man of the 20th Century and that ---under his magnificent leadership---the heroic British people saved the free world from being enslaved by the Nazi butchers.
In my opinion, history will ultimately define Tony Blair as the greatest British leader since Churchill. If you British no longer appreciate him, please send him to us!!!

Bill Paul, Atlanta, USA/Georgia

my friend has just returned from Iraq and he told me that
the Kurds in the north were quite happy with the currant policies but the fighting factions in Baghdad was a big problem, organised crime is rife and not much hope for
families trying to rebuild there life's ,hundreds of civilians
still dying every day this is the wests problem not Gordon
browns and its going to cost us for a LONGTIME.

george william taylor, hull, uk

The military exercise in Iraq completely disregarded the
principles of Clausewitz, or economics for that matter.
Hopefully, Brown can bring a sense of reality to both the
US and Britain, if it is not too late. The Bush administration
lacks both military and economic knowledge, or common sense. And the bill has not yet been presented.

Leonard Clapp, Wilmington, USA

He is involved in this illegal occupation as much as Bliar

mark day, London,

George Soros flunky?
Wow what a change. French leader becomes friend of North America and British take a turn for the left and Idiotville. If you want to know where Britian is going ask George Soros as I believe he will be calling the shots. George Soros by the way is the fellow who made a lot of his money betting against the British Pound. The UK will suffer for this stupidity that is about to be unleashed upon them.

Eric Jordan, Victoria , Canada

Lets face it Labour always follow America but now there are two choices, will he support the Democrats who want to leave or Bush who wants to stay?

Mark, Newcastle,

What, please,is "a Continued on page 2, col 4 contest"? Is it something to do with clause 4?

Arthur, Guildford, Surrey

So Brown wants a government "humble enough to know its place". Well he didn't show humility when Labour's place became second in Scotland and he claims he would refuse to work with the SNP's Alex Salmond in the interests of good governance.

No doubt Brown will be easy meat when it comes time for a photo opportunity with Gerry Adams. Yo Brown!

James Brown, Ayr, Scotland

Ultimately, for us to commit ourselves to this campaign there must have been a benefit for us. Oil seems to be the answer. Quite simple really.

Craig Douglas, Ely,

It won't be long before the British Left and its sympathizers at the BBC will begin to wonder why they were so anxious to throw Tony Blair overboard.

Bob Cytel, Boston, MA USA

Gordon - just tell us it's about the oil.

Howard Broadwell, Nottingham, England

“As a politician I have never sought the public eye for its own sake. I have never believed presentation should be a substitute for policy. I do not believe politics is about celebrity.”

...and his first move is to put on a show

Alan D, Philadelphia, USA

On what basis is the Chancellor of the Exchequer planning to go to Iraq?
As a private visitor, paying his own way?
If not, then surely that is an abuse of taxpayer's money, given that he has not even been elected leader of the labour party let alone Prime Minister.

MarkS, Leeds,

I agree with you Jerry, but I'm afraid the momentum is moving
against our view and we may just have to wait for mushroom
cloud over a western city to change people's minds--I just
hope I'm far away...Of course Iraq is tough and we screwed up things
there but we're dealing with people who not only are willing to kill
anyone anytime but love nothing more than to die in the process too,
when you take on that type of person, you bet it's going to
get ugly.

Randall K., East Hampton, NY, USA

My old international relations professor Lew Brownstein used to say that going to war is like opening the door to hell, and it is easier to open it than to close it. It has been obvious for a long time now that the invasion of Iraq was a grotesque blunder of historic proportions. It's obvious that Britain and the USA have to get out as fast as possible, but it is also necessary to mind what is left when we leave. "Break it, own it" is talking about a sense of responsibility for what you do. How many people will be left in Iraq to be massacred. Will we leave them there or allow them as refugees? If we let them in how many will end up being terrorists? What will the region look like? The problem is that nobody trusts Bush and his people to ever pull out or make good on the damage they have caused. But let's wait to see what Gordon Brown has in mind. He can see the writing on the wall, now what will he do about it?Americans need to see the world through other's eyes for once.

Christopher Hobe Morrison, Middletown, Orange County, NY, USA

Something else Americans are getting sick of: Baby boomers who, when they see the American military taking longer to achieve their objectives than predicted, going right to the "Its just like Viet Nam, man...!" argument. Why is it that everyone sees wars as either 1) Viet Nam or 2) World War II. Iraq is a good bit more complicated than Viet Nam.

Buster Leviathan, St. Louis, MO, United States

Non American commenters: You are not smarter than I am. You are not more well-rounded simply because you were not born in the United States. I know quite well where Islamic terrorism resides, and quite frankly you daresay purposely ignored the single largest state sponsor of terrorism on Earth, which would be, Iran.

I don't want your know-nothing pompous lectures from edinburgh. Turn off the BBC.

Luke, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, USA

"What a glib and racist thought, that Western occupiers get to *own* Iraq by sheer virtue of having destroyed it."

Such an arrogant, uninformed post! "You break it, you own it" has nothing to do with conquest, but some anti-American critics can only see our country through their distorted views of our country. That phrase uttered by Colin Powel, cautious critic of the Bush administration, was dubbed the Pottery Barn principle. I guess we hyper consumerist Americans would understand it as a cautionary warning against going into Iraq. That was how Colin Powel's criticism as a member of the Bush administration was covered in the US press. The idea is, that if you go in to a store(Iraq) and break something, you are responsible for paying the price to fix it.

Bryan, Madison, Wiscosin, US

We will get what we asked for by pulling out, blaming Blair and Bush, lamenting about our dead. By not putting blame on the islamonazis, we are denying who is to blame. I cannot believe we are blasting our leaders. Did the world forget what has happened in the past, or the present. Or what these 'lets take over the world, form a world religionfor everyone, islam, destroy the West and Isreal ' have said? Stop the bickering and unite for a just cause. Or we will be buried in hate. Remember, look to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who controls all things and cannot be defeated.

Leonard Mirabile, long island, , NY

This whole cut & run line is old & tired here in the United States. Quite frankly, the American people are tired of hearing "timetable for surrender," "fight them there so we don't have to fight them here," "cut & run," "stay the course," and "give the surge time to work."

Let's not forget the other slogans and statements that we fell for..."mission accomplished," "the insurgency is in its last throes," "this war will take days...maybe months," and "reconstruction will be paid for by Iraqi oil revenue."

Let's face it - we screwed up and now we must admit it and help the Iraqi people from a diplomatic and financial standpoint. The longer we stay in Iraq, the stronger the terrorists become.

Bert, South Carolina, USA

1) Neither Great Britain nor the USA owns Iraq.

2) We have destroyed the country, causing untold death, suffering and destruction.

3) The Iraqi people do not want us there. They want us to get out!

4) We cannot "win" the civil war that is in progress there, nor do we have the military resources nor the political will to defeat the multi-national insurgency against our military occupation.

5) This is the same war as the Viet Nam war, being fought for the same reasons, but in a different place.

6) Only the Iraqi people will determine the future of Iraq.

We should never have gone in. It's time to get out!

Garth Strong, Sherman Oaks, USA

Finally, in the 5th year of war, Bushite/Blairites admit they "broke it". They want us to believe that after they "made some mistakes" they can now erase the awful history they have written for themselves. Consider where we are now: The Decider has deployed anti-insurgency tactics that may have worked 3 years ago. The Decider doesn't want to think about Iraq again until September, at the earliest. The Decider labels every alternative "cut and run." Every month we don't cut and run our latest and best military strategy results in 10,000 Iraqis and 120 Yanks/Brits dead, plus or minus, mostly plus, with no end in sight. Do we let the Decider thrash away for the next 20 months or put an end to it now? Do the math. Vietnam history is repeating over a huge pot of highly flammable oil.

Wally, Lantana, Florida

American commenters: Islamic terrorism comes from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, not from Iraq, however contemptible its former leader; and yet it's funny how the War On Terror hasn't yet resulted in large scale bombing of Jeddah and Lahore, isn't it. The only thing the Iraq war has achieved is to import Islamic terrorism into Iraq and to greatly strengthen it worldwide. Saddam Hussein was a barbaric murderous tyrant, but he was a secular barbaric murderous tyrant, not an Islamic one.

Brown can't get us out of Iraq soon enough; the civil war there can only get worse, much much worse.

chris, Edinburgh, Scotland

Easy enough to say when you have never left the comfort of your own living room. I spent a year and a half in Iraq and "you break it you buy it" is little more than cheesy rhetoric.

Iraqi soldiers will never fully stand on their own two feet so long as US forces are available to bleed for them. They rely on us simply because we allow it. If we cease combat operations it will force the Iraqi defense forces to actually utilize the training they have received rather than sit in the background and watch the US do their job.

There are enough people in Iraq that are of Iraqi nationality to do the job. And given how brutal their society is in general, I have no doubt terrorists will eventually find life in Iraq as difficult under its present leadership as they did under Saddam Hussein.

172 Stryker Bde soldier, Anchorage, AK/USA

Does that apply universally? If I kick the hell out of your children, do I get to own them? Does Osama bin Laden now own New York City? Can we hand over the tube system to the Al Qaeda network?

What a glib and racist thought, that Western occupiers get to *own* Iraq by sheer virtue of having destroyed it. Iraqis want the occupiers out, Americans want out, Brits want out, the whole world is against this farrago of lies and murder - and you're still clinging to to this contemptuous fantasy that any country whose property you destroy and people you kill is somehow suddenly your unique entitlement. Your *responsibility* is to get out and pay for the damage.

Richard Seymour, London, UK

A shame Gordon Brown hasn't committed Britain to withdrawing from Iraq. At a stroke this would draw a line under our biggest foreign policy disaster since Suez, reduce bloodshed and get us out of an unwinnable war. Brown would be creating clear blue water between his Premiership and the Blair era, and the Labour party would be almost guaranteed victory at the next election.

Mark, Manchester, England

Cut & run won't work with the Islamic fanatics. If you don't fight them in Iraq you will fight them in the streets of London. This is a world war against these kooks and best to fight them in their territory than the streets of your own neighborhood. They must be beaten into submission, not to Allah, but the forces of civilization no matter what it takes.

Jerry, NW Florida, USA

Once again, Just another case of Cut and run. we wanted the war, democrats vowed to Hold Bush accountable for the quagmire, now the democrats want to bail out. they dont understand "you break it, you buy it!" sorry dems and Im sorry Britans, we broke it, we bought it and President Bush would be irresponsible to leave iraq in a position where it cannot function on its own.

Drew, Alpharetta , Georgia

I don't mean to minimize Britain's role in Iraq, but for crying out loud it's a piddling 7,000 soldiers in a city of a million. That's far smaller than an adequate police force ought to be for a city that size.The Brits and U.S. will pull out, but there's going to be real hell to pay in 10 years when we have to go back.

scott, tulsa, Oklahoma