In the last ten years or so we have been hearing a lot of disturbing reports about Britain – reports of a society of fearful and servile subjects, of criminals acting with impunity, of the British accepting second class status to Islam. Maybe the gun lobby is exaggerating British submission to criminals, maybe racists and war hawks are exaggerating British submission to Islam, but this story of cowardice and betrayal from Basra fits with what we have been hearing about self defense in Britain and freedom of religion in Britain.
The authors, however blame the leadership, not the troops, so perhaps with a more manly leader, such as Margaret Thatcher, the old British would reappear. On the other hand, the similar humiliations in the Persian gulf, and the very similar cowardice and betrayal in Helmand province are worrying. Doubtless it was the leadership that betrayed Helmand province, but was it the political leaders that caused troops to surrender on the Persian gulf?
