US combat troops leave Iraq

The 'Guardian' reports: "The last American combat troops left Iraq today, seven-and-a-half years after the US-led invasion, and two weeks ahead of President Barack Obama's 31 August deadline for withdrawal from the country." However, 56,000 will remain ostensibly to train Iraqi military and police and let's not forget the tens of thousands of private security forces who will guard US and other western installations.

Nevertheless, if the pictures are to be believed some have left and our intentions might now turn to where they will next turn up. Perhaps, in the Yemen where Uncle Sam is already fighting a covert war, maybe in Afghanistan or Pakistan and who knows, they might even be off to Iran after a few weeks rest and recuperation. Yes, folks this is the age of the permanent war, the war on terror and if you haven't caught it on your city centre television screens, on BBC or CNN, if you haven't read it in your "daily drivel", it is business as usual and with the business as usual the real message behind the fanfare accompanying "the end of combat operations" on the Mesopotamien front tells all and sundry that the show must and does go on.