Mick Hartley

As Britain gradually decreases its troop commitment in Southern Iraq, with the aim of eventual withdrawal, a propaganda war’s being played out, notably by the followers of Muqtada al-Sadr. It’d clearly be in their interest, and would notably increase their prestige, if the British withdrawal could be seen as the result of defeat by the heroic forces of the Mahdi Army.

How fortunate then for al-Sadr to be given the propaganda coup of an interview in the Independent, with his face spread across the front page, claiming “victory in Basra”. That this might be seen as encouragement for the further killing of British troops by his followers, as well as a slap in the face for those Iraqi forces in Basra committed to resisting Sadr’s Islamist agenda, will clearly not in any way have been allowed to compromise the moral certainty which has characterised the Indie’s editorial policy on Iraq.