From Belfast to Basra, it’s the same old story

AS someone who lived in the North of Ireland in the late ’60s and ’70s I find disturbing the similarity between Belfast then and Basra now.

In both cases, the British troops were initially welcomed by much of the population who hoped that their arrival signalled the end of their oppression.

However, they quickly lost the battle for hearts and minds as the population soon realised that change was not at hand.