Much is being made of the treatment meted out by British squaddies to some rioting Iraqis. What I find far more sickening than the video are the howls of hypocritical anger coming from those who ordered these men into Iraq in the first place.

Army infantry units are generally made up of tough lads often from what are now called “deprived areas.” When confronted with a baying mob throwing petrol bombs does anyone really suppose that they are going to retaliate by waving copies of The Guardian around?

I am not making a defence but merely pointing out that if we had wanted to avoid situations like this we should not have gone to Iraq in the first place.