Four soldiers die in boat bomb as Blair prepares shift on Iraq

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Attack on river patrol raises fears that insurgents becoming more confident
Four British servicemen were killed in a bomb attack on their patrol boat in Basra yesterday, intensifying pressure on the government to set a clear timetable for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

Three of their colleagues were also severely injured by the improvised explosive device as they patrolled the Shatt Al Arab waterway, a vital supply line bordering Iran.

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The Lib Dem defence spokesman, Nick Harvey, said the deaths were tragic, and added: "You have to ask whether we are doing more harm than good in Iraq."

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The latest deaths will intensify the political pressure for a timetable for a British withdrawal, which Mr Blair still opposes on the grounds that it would be counter-productive. A cross-party group led by the Scottish Nationalists, but backed by the former Tory chancellor Kenneth Clarke, has tabled an amendment for debate at the end of the Queen's Speech on Wednesday to detail its exit strategy.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1946357,00.html

[TheBaldyMan]

1. MoD has plans for a brigade sized task-force to remain in Iraq until the US leaves

It's astonishing to see Blair ignore the British people, their elected representatives and all military advice. Then days after Bush gets smacked in the face by the US electorate he suddenly becomes a peacenik.
:mad: