I guess if any nation is an expert on imposing themselves on other cultures,
it has to be the British. Looks like Andrew is out to drum up business for
Britain to provide consultation on how to tame the natives. Times are tough
and everybody is looking for creative ways to boost their economy.
Jabou
Prince: US Ignored UK Advice on Iraq
By JILL LAWLESS, AP
Tue Feb 5, 8:02 AM EST
LONDON — The United States could have avoided some of the problems it is
experiencing in Iraq if it had listened to Britain's advice and learned from its
experiences, Prince Andrew said in an interview published Tuesday as he began
a trade mission to the U.S.
In a rare airing of political opinion by a senior member of the British
royal family, the prince said the invasion and its aftermath had created a
"healthy skepticism" in Britain about what was said in Washington and led many to
ask, "Why didn't anyone listen to what was said and the advice that was given?"
Queen Elizabeth II's second son, a former Royal Navy helicopter pilot who
now promotes British business abroad, told the International Herald Tribune
that Britain's history as an imperial power meant it had valuable experience to
share.
The United States was Britain's chief ally, he said, but, there were
"occasions when people in the U.K. would wish that those in responsible positions in
the U.S. might listen and learn from our experiences."
Britain, which has about 4,500 troops in Iraq, down from a 40,000 during the
2003 invasion, has a long military history in the region; British troops
invaded what was then Mesopotamia in 1914 during World War I, and fought
insurgents until Iraq gained its independence in 1932.
"If you are looking at colonialism, if you are looking at operations on an
international scale, if you are looking at understanding each other's culture,
understanding how to operate in a military insurgency campaign — we have
been through them all," the prince said in comments confirmed by Buckingham
Palace.
"We've won some, lost some, drawn some. The fact is there is quite a lot of
experience over here which is valid and should be listened to."
Senior British officials have complained that the U.S. did not heed British
advice about the potential pitfalls of invading Iraq, particularly the
dangers of banning Saddam Hussein's Baath Party and dismantling the Iraqi military.
Prince Andrew left Britain on Tuesday for a 10-day trade mission in the
United States.
A palace spokesman confirmed the prince's published quotes were accurate,
but stressed they were made during a "wide-ranging" hour-long interview in
which he also discussed his family, his time in the navy and his experiences as a
helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands War.
"The remarks he made were not meant as a rebuke or an attack," the spokesman
said on the palace's customary condition of anonymity.
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