Big Houmous

And you thought we handed over in Maysan voluntarily. You poor fool!

Comments Dan thinks that Blair will finally be done in by angry army wives after a disastrous overrun somewhere in Afghanistan or Iraq. It's a testament to the strategic incoherence of the trip to Afghanistan that it's now getting more dangerous at the operational level than Iraq. Getting out of Iraq is difficult because of the political, strategic-level arrangements it would need. For the British force, the operational problem is simple - drive to Kuwait docks with flank and rear guards. For the Americans it is much harder, which is why it's strategically difficult for the Brits to get out.

From southern Afghanistan, though, giving up is easier, but getting out in itself is tough. There's no infrastructure to speak of, and the road and theatre air routes go via Karachi - which doesn't look the best option any more. And the RAF's slow crisis with its transport fleet is not helping.