Pot Calls Kettle Black, Shock.

There's always something to wind me up in a Paul Reynolds article. It may not be much, but riling it nonetheless is.

Says Reynolds on good news from Iraq: 'However, before London and Washington start bringing out the old metaphors about "turning the corner" in Iraq, there are many obstacles to overcome.'

Yep, you read correctly, BBC journalist accuses politician of eagerness to use tired metaphors. The same journalist who borrowed the rather tired old metaphorical term 'quagmire' to describe war in Iraq (the BBC imports it whenever they get the chance, and the thing mushroomed up substantially on the web from the reporting of Reynolds)

Another point of rilement (I make up words on this blog quite wilfully) occurs when Reynolds says 'Ideally, the US and UK would like the resolution [the UN resolution on the transitional Government] approved by the time of the D-Day celebrations on 6 June, and certainly by the start of the G8 summit in the US on 8 June. The Western allies could then present a united front after their deep divisions.'

The notion that France will really unite behind the Coalition Iraq strategy, or that Germany will be seen as an ally on June 6th, is too surely too far-fetched (or even that the old-fashioned term 'Western allies' has much meaning when Japan and Korea have been more steadfast than Spain, and France actively opposed the war diplomatically), and equally it'd be crazy to imply there were 'deep divisions' between the US and UK- crazy except for a certain kind of stirrer. Maybe Reynolds is that sort.

Anyway, for some reason Reynolds feels he needs to offer 'a word, though, of caution', and informs us that a political schedule for elections and handover in Iraq does not necessarily mean a military schedule, or 'Ending a mandate and withdrawing are not quite the same things'.

Well, indeed.

And then I notice the prophet of gloom (Reynolds) observing that US voters might be pleased by a timetable suggesting 'troops out' by 2006, and concerned that this illusory date of completion might be 'not a bad thing... for a US President on the election trail'- hence the warning.

Well, thanks Paul, on behalf of all my US friends, but I thought you thought that the US was verging on pulling troops out to escape the quagmire of Iraq? Less than a month ago I recall you saying 'Events in Iraq have been spinning out of control - and out of control of the spinners - so fast on so many fronts that the W word - withdrawal - is now being mentioned.'

Presumably the 'spinners' have now regained control sufficiently to stage events like the D-Day commemorations.