Wednesday, November 15, 2006

South Shields girl killed in Iraq

Where is the exit strategy?

It is with great regret and sadness that we learned today that amongst the latest British casualties in the Iraq is South Shields based Staff Sergeant Sharon Elliot. The 34 year old was killed on Sunday by a bomb blast which destroyed the patrol boat carrying herself and three colleagues on the Shatt-al-Arab near Basra.
Sharon was serving with the Intelligence Corps and had been in Iraq for just one week after volunteering for the posting.

Curly would like to express his sympathy and solidarity with Sharon's immediate family in South Shields.

Whilst many of us initially agreed with the aims and objectives of the mission to oust Saddam Hussein, by military means, and were prepared to support the 'special relationship' with America, it has become increasingly clear that the evidence produced to support the resolutions at the U.N. and debates in Parliament was at best flimsy and at worst totally false. Our own MP David Miliband had serious reservations at first about the issue, but supported the government out of loyalty.

I think it is now unacceptable to just sit back and watch Iraq spiral out of control as Shias battle with Sunnis; if the Americans have a plan to bolster the fledgling government of Iraq and are confident that they can help create a stable viable democratic country, then let them execute that plan. What Britain needs is something completely different, we need an exit strategy, even if it involves coercing other nations to fill the void left by our troops. We have done our bit to add bite to the U.N. resolutions, it's time some other nations took up the standard.

If there is one thing that Tony Blair should NOT leave as part of his 'legacy' it is the British Army in Iraq and Afghanistan. The prolongued stay of our boys and girls in these foreign posts is having a detrimental affect on security at home, and is providing even more encouragement to the extremist Islamic terrorist groups within our midst.

The Prime Minister should be acting NOW to ensure that the next government of this country doesn't have this mess to sort out!

Link

Shields Gazette.

# posted by Curly : 5:39 pm