From Christopher Catherwood's "Churchill's Folly":

"In the summer of 1920, the lack of foresight of the lack of manpower in Mesopotamia (Iraq) became all too apparent. In May, a rebellion broke out in Tel Afar over the arrest of a local sheikh. Four British soldiers were killed by local Arab insurgents. The British thereupon sent two armored cars, but they were ambushed, with the loss of two officers and fourteen men.

"The British response was swift and extreme. The entire population of Tel Afar was driven out into the desert, which resulted in the whole of British-ruled Mesopotamia being in revolt until July."

Churchill was still worried about the "weakness of the Army in relation to its commitments" and in relation to Mesopotamia, he asked:

"Next are we to clear out of Mosul or not? There is going to be fighting in the district in the near future, and no possibility of reducing the Mesopotamian garrison exists unless a definite contraction of responsibilities is accepted...We cannot go on sprawled out over these vast regions at ruinous expense and ever increasing military risk. If it is decided to hold Mosul, the garrison of Mesopot[amia] must be fully maintained, the railway must be prolonged into Mosul, and Parliament must be told that the expectation of reduction in expense cannot be made good."

I guess there is something to be learned in history eh? The Tel Afar incident and Fallujah incident of the present are parallels to be drawn. Churchill's primary question is also very relevant today. Now I ask you all to try and guess how the first British occupation of Iraq went.

HISTORY IS TODAY! LEARN FROM IT!!!