Dreaming of Simplicity

On the same day that Barack Obama launches his foreign relations tour, with an unprecedented amount of coverage form all corners of the globe, including, no doubt, the British press; Gordon Brown decides to launch his own mini-tour. Despite conventional wisdom dictating that it is not a good idea to launch a PR campaign while the entire world is clambering for coverage of the 21st century's JFK, the British Prime Minister decided to pop to the middle-east for the weekend.

First he stepped of a military chopper at a base in Iraq, then, after he'd had time to play with a big gun and meet both the Iraqi Prime Minister and President, he vanished only to reappear in Israel. Apparently it's part of a two day visit to that will include a trip to the West Bank.

Whilst in Iraq he spoke of troop levels, "It's certainly our intention that we reduce our troop numbers but I am not going to be setting an artificial timetable at the moment". I imagine he may wait for a change in the occupancy of the White House before moving on Iraq. There is some logic in that, but obviously if he withdrew our troops now, it would send a message to US voters; seriously undermine John McCain's plans for Iraq; and give a boost to Obama's position. Then again, it may be too much to expect a man who can't even help himself to help Obama.

More Brown in Iraq pictures here.