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Defence in the World

At the weekend, I met a squaddie who had just returned from Basra and I had a drink with him. He told me quite clearly that the Iraqi people are kind, friendly and welcoming, and that they are very appreciative of the excellent work that the armed forces are doing out there. That is certainly no surprise to me, as someone who has regularly met members of the Queen’s Lancaster Regiment; but I simply wish, as the right hon. Gentleman says, that it was more widely known among people in this country. It is not more widely known because of the way in which the press distort what is actually happening.