We Don't Do Surrender

British General Richard Dannat changed his tune under pressue from the Blair Government.

Britain's army chief, who set off a political storm by calling for troops to be withdrawn from Iraq "soon,'' said Friday he meant a phased withdrawal over two or three years, and denied that he was attacking government policy.

Gen. Richard Dannatt gave a series of damage-control interviews after newspapers ran front-page stories interpreting his earlier remarks to The Daily Mail as a blast at Prime Minister Tony Blair's policy.

"It's important that people remember that we are in Iraq at the express wish of the democratically elected Iraqi government,'' a spokesman for Blair's office said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Blair's official spokesman told reporters in Scotland, where Blair is involved in Northern Ireland talks, that the general had the prime minister's full support.

Well the General stepped in it with his original statement.

Personally I like his new statemnt better.