i don,t know why people were worried about the the british army pulling out of iraq.
in fact i think there is nothing to worry about even if the americans pulled out today...you see the whole of this violence is about iran wanting to own/control iraq
and now that basra has been given to them on a silver plate it is only polite that they should thank the stupid
naiive politicians and summon jon snow to president,s palace in iran so that ahmadnezad can personally thank the british and ask for more of the same.
thank you

dedesertman, london, england

How very cynical Mr Brown..........................................
This government has so little respect for our wonderfull overstretched and underfunded warriors that the only baadge of honour they have to show for their dedication and sacrifice............their medals, which they should be proud to pass on as heirlooms to their children are now made of foil covered compressed cardboard. They are of such poor quality that many have to be returned to MOD for replacement before they are issued because the cardboard is showing through the foil covering.
How little respect this government really has for our brave boys and girls and their families!

John D Snow, Thetford, Englaand

I must say I was wrong. I really thought when the withdrawal took place all hell would break loose there.

I'm optomistic, but still can't be to overly as I recall that about the same time as the withdrawal the insurgents announced a 6 month truce. If I'm right that truce would be up in January about 1 month after the 1000 man pull out.

This leaves me wondering was one hell of a deal made? Or the deal made. Is the crap going to hit the proverbial fan there come January when Brit strength to react is at its minimum? Hmmm?

I do think its a good policy to move British airborne assets to Afghanistan. Hopefully this will cut down on possible friendly fire incidents thru less dependence on U.S. air power. I'm not knoocking us there..it just make sense to narrow the line of communication amongst the players to help prevent those incidents.

Good luck and God Bless all!

Murph, Madisonville, USA/KY

Gordon Brown is an unprincipled "serial re-announcer". Unprincipled in 1) announcing this to the media rather than Parliament as he previously promised 2) ignoring the valued and valuable established convention of not doing diversionary stories during the party conferences of the Opposition parties, and 3) contemplating an unnecessary election, less than 30 months after the last one, for no reason other than a perceived advantage in the polls (none of our 17 post-war general elections were unnecessary in this sense).

John Gentle, Birmingham,

March 2008 will mark the fifth anniversary of the military occupation of the former state of IRAQ. Now Iraq lies split into three self-controlled territories: Northern Kurdish Iraq; Iranian controlled Basra and the Baghdad area controlled by a predominately Shiite government; without Sunni participation. And America to stay there until the oil runs out around 2020. Whose oil is it anyway?

muggeridge, London, England

I feel so stupid. For a while there, a few weeks ago, I genuinely felt good about the world - with Blair gone forever and in his place someone who looked like he was going to stand up for out tattered democracy and put an end the rampant greed at the top.

Week by week this feeling has been eroded. If Brown calls an election so soon into his new job - apparently forgetting that we elect parties, not prime ministers - for the first time in my life i feel I may have to vote conservative.

It seems as if Brown needs to be taught a lesson about democracy - and nothing could drum that message home better than a reduced majority and the prospect of three lonely years as a failed prime minister. That is what he faces.

matthew, bristol,

Your story has missed the point. Brown's visit is a not-so-covert diversion op against the Conservative party.

michael Read, London,