All countries must stay course in Iraq, Bush tells Brown

The split between Bush and Brown over Iraq is becoming ever more public with Bush now stating that Britain must "stay the course" in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The American President said: "We need all our coalition partners. I understand that everybody's got their own internal politics. My only point is that whether it be Afghanistan or Iraq, we've got more work to do."

In a Sky News interview, he made clear his irritation with Mr Brown's approach on Iraq. He said Western troops should only think of pulling out once they had completed the "hard work" of defeating al-Qa'ida and Iranian-backed insurgents.

It really is the oddest thing about the Bush presidency. The less power he has, the more he stomps his feet, demanding that others give him what he wants. His skills as a tactician are almost nil. This is very odd behaviour from a man who once publicly admitted that, it was perhaps Blair's relationship with himself which most doomed his premiership.

And now he is publicly demanding that Blair's successor do his bidding which, unsurprisingly, will actually make it much harder for Brown to do so.

The last thing Brown can afford to be seen as is Bush's poodle, and the more Bush makes this kind of public demand, the less likely it is that Brown can accede to his request.

It's the oddest form of diplomacy I have ever witnessed and further proof, were any needed, that Bush does brawn and not brain.

Brown's cabinet have launched their counter offensive:

Writing in the Washington Post, David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, and Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, insisted that Britain was "on track" and defended plans to hand over to the Iraqis.

They stated: "In those southern provinces already transferred to Iraqi control, the political and security authorities have responded robustly to recent intimidation and violence. They have grown in stature and confidence in a way that was impossible while we retained control.

"The United Kingdom is sticking to the mission we took on four years ago. But our commitment to Iraq will not end when our troop movements and the transfer of security control in Basra are complete.

"The international community will need to maintain its support of Iraq for a long time to come, even if the form of that support will evolve over time."

Despite Bush's threats, the message from Miliband and Browne appears unchanged. The British will continue to offer support in Iraq, whilst refusing to say that this support will always be in a military capacity.

The more Bush stomps, the less he actually achieves...

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