Brown in Baghdad
BAGHDAD: It's Gordon Brown's first visit to Baghdad. He's been to Iraq before, visiting British troops in Basra but this is his first sight of the Iraqi capital, his first meeting with the political and military leaders here, as well as diplomats.
What is intriguing is that, as is often is the case, these trips are unannounced and we've known for some days but in this particular case we've been asked to keep this secret for many hours. Indeed, it wasn't meant to be until Gordon Brown had left what's known as the Green Zone - the relatively safe international area which is heavily protected in Baghdad - that we could give details of where we are.
But because Iraqi television has now broken the news that the next prime minister is on his first visit here, to the Iraqi capital, we've been given the authority to report the news that he is indeed here now.
During his visit, it's likely that Prime Minister Maliki will want to know whether Gordon Brown will repeat the words of Tony Blair, that it would be wrong to cut and run from this country, and that he's determined to make the same stand as the current prime minister has made and believes that victory in Iraq is crucial.
In briefings that we've had whilst travelling with Gordon Brown he's insisted that today is not the day for him to make any announcements of troop movements or timetables, or indeed into what did go right or go wrong in the past. He said it will be inappropriate while he's meeting and praising British troops here - the few that are in the capital.
Of course, that won't do for Iraqi politicians. They will spot the slightest hesitation and they will angst about that. Only recently, a leading Iraqi politician did express publicly his concern that Gordon Brown might be tempted to withdraw British troops rather earlier than Tony Blair had planned.
If he is not successful in stilling those fears I've no doubt we'll hear about that very quickly from the Iraqi politicians. Though tellingly, there is no joint news conference. There almost always is. There isn't today so we won't get the chance to put that question directly to either Prime Minister Maliki or indeed the two vice presidents from the two Sunni and Shia communities here.
UPDATE: There has been a mortar attack in the international zone in Baghdad. Nine mortars landed in the international zone. Gordon Brown had not yet left the international zone at the time. British journalists travelling with the chancellor heard the attack. Now I know why they were so nervy abut revealing Gordon Brown's visit.
I'm 
Comments
....photo op with troops...furrowed brow..."brave lads, defending democracy" etc....meet politicos, another photo op..."building a new democratic Iraq, overcoming the forces of terrorism" etc...meet American Gen.Petraeus, another photo op..."strong ally, with you to the end" etc...get home.."very difficult, lessons to be learned"...
Please tell me what facts will be "found" (as if they are hidden) from this series of photo ops and regulation statements of commitment and contrition
....that the whole thing is an absolute debacle and a disaster for the UK and US?
Has he cracked that Reagan joke yet?
(May as well be a creature of habit.)
Yet another photo opportunity for Broon to see how he has underfunded and equiped our troops.Or like McCavity is there something at home which he is hiding from and not telling us.
If Brown is interested in finding out the facts about Iraq, I assume he'll be supporting the Tories' call for an independent enquiry? Especially given how much he has insisted he wants a new spirit of open and transparent government.
Apart from the photo op mentioned so far and with which I agree, what was the purpose of his visit a week after our hero Tony was there? Could they possibly have different things to discuss or was one of the two visits completely pointless?
Unless, of course, Tony's visit was only part of his environmentally friendly trip around the world to collect his farewell gifts.
I would suggest that this trip by Mr Brown will also coincide with the imminent signing of the Iraq HCL (hydro-carbon law)which was due for final signing atthe emd of May but which is now due during June - ie. before parliments reccess at the end of June. Nick are you able to provide any information with regards this during his discissions with PM Maliki??
This is a very insightful post. I think Brown will fail as PM in just this style, failing to grasp what a leader must do and say.
Photo op for Brown in Baghdad Green Zone? Not much chance of that - where will they get the requisite crowd of children from?
This isn't the first trip Brown has made to Iraq. As the first ones were made before he became Prime Minister Elect, and whilst he was Chancellor, perhaps he could explain exactly how these trips pertained to his role as Chancellor, rather than beefing up his image prior to an anticipated Labour Party election.
Perhaps the Labour Party ought to be paying for them?
Not doing much for global warming with all this gadding about.
The electorate has already delivered its verdict on Blair, Mr Brown now has to show he isn't Blair's jester.
AsI he's not yet officially PM, he's got to be polite.
But unfortunately for him, he voted for the war and if he was against it in Cabinet, it amazes me that it hasn't already leaked out......
I still await a proper argument for the war. Supporting our friends isn't good enough. Oil for lives isn't good enough. Where's the evidence of a 'clear and present danger' to the UK? Assuming that jobs vs lives isn't the way you calculate political expediency??
Mr Brown, over to you.....
I note that Mr. Brown has already used a variant of the "lessons must be learnt" stock phrase with "I think it's important to learn all the lessons".
What next? Perhaps a "we need to support the people of Iraq...", or a "we need to look forward"...ooops sorry he's used that one I see
Why bother sending Brown, we could send a cardboard cut out with a tape recorder stuck to the back spouting political cliches....at a fraction of the cost?
I think a substantial change of policy is what is required, not glad-handing men and women forced to do the government's dirty work. Were Brown to take the initiative now, take the Iraq government at its word about their readiness to step into the place of UK troops, and plan a early withdrawal, he'd arrest the slide in his party's vote. Anything else hands the keys of No 10 to Cameron. His choice...our military, of course, pay the price whatever he decides to do.
Were you in Iraq Nick?
Whenever touching on the Iraq war and/or our consequential lack of trust in Tony Blair, WHY does Nick refer to "that pre-war dossier" in the singular...? Especially when everyone knows that in order to conjure-up unjustified support for his unjustifiable invasion, our "Dodgy PM" came up with TWO "Dodgy Dossiers" - NOT JUST ONE...!!!
Hi Nick,
Is there any danger of Gordon Brown stepping out from Tony Blair's shadow or is he there and quite comfortable ? Maybe he'll employ that age-old tactic of blaming Blair for everything as a legacy issue just like Labour have done for the past 10 years with the Tories.
Would be very interested in your thoughts.
James
Iraqis choose their leaders by a system of national elections - we have a lot to learn from their democracy.
It's an unannounced or surprise visit because of the chaos that now exists in Iraq. Was he there to apologise?
I suppose the recent poll by 60% of the Iraqi parliament requesting an immediate withdrawal of occupying forces didn't come up?
Finally, why must you use the phrase "cut and run" when withdraw is perfectly adequate?