Stunner ( I mean it)--Top UK general: Quit Iraq soon; Christian values threatened

A brave general with principles.

The head of the Army is calling for British troops to withdraw from Iraq "soon" or risk catastophic consequences for both Iraq and British society...

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Sir Richard also warns that a "moral and spiritual vacuum" has opened up in British society, which is allowing Muslim extremists to undermine "our accepted way of life."

The Chief of the General Staff believes that Christian values are under threat in Britain and that continuing to fight in Iraq will only make the situation worse...

He lambasts Tony Blair's desire to forge a "liberal democracy" in Iraq as a "naive" failure and he warns that "whatever consent we may have had in the first place" from the Iraqi people "has largely turned to intolerance."..

He says clearly we shoud "get ourselves out sometime soon because our presence exacerbates the security problems."

"We are in a Muslim country and Muslims' views of foreigners in their country are quite clear."..

"I think history will show that the planning for what happened after the initial successful war fighting phase was poor, probably based more on optimism than sound planning," he said.

"The original intention was that we put in place a liberal democracy that was an exemplar for the region, was pro West and might have a beneficial effect on the balance within the Middle East."

"That was the hope, whether that was a sensible or naïve hope history will judge. I don’t think we are going to do that. I think we should aim for a lower ambition."..

Sir Richard warned that the consequences will be felt at home, where failure to support Christian values is allowing a predatory Islamist vision to take hold.

He said: "When I see the Islamist threat in this country I hope it doesn’t make undue progress because there is a moral and spiritual vacuum in this country."

"Our society has always been embedded in Christian values; once you have pulled the anchor up there is a danger that our society moves with the prevailing wind."..

"It is said that we live in a post Christian society. I think that is a great shame. The broader Judaic-Christian tradition has underpinned British society. It underpins the British army."

General Dannatt says he has "more optimism" [my emphasis - MC] that "we can get it right in Afghanistan."..

The Pope makes this related point:

...the Pope will not renounce to affirm the truth of the faith in the name of a misunderstood pluralism. "The road of indulgency and dialogue, which the Vatican Council happily chose", today the Udienza Generale explained "should certainly be followed with firm perseverance. This however should not lead away from the duty to reconsider and to make clear with strength the lines that guide us and are inalienable from the Christian identity"...

Meanwhile, Lawrence Martin of the Globe and Mail thinks the freedom of the press in the West is under threat (full text not officially online) in drawing a comparison with a reporter's being murdered in Moscow. A truly useful idiot--Martin, certainly not Anna Politkovskaya.

Mark C.

Update: The General clarifies but does not retract; Brit military support him on web forum (ARRSE).

Upperdate: Very interesting comment thread at Army.ca, esp. regarding US conduct of things in Iraq.

Posted by markc at October 12, 2006 09:07 PM