THE BEGINNING OF THE ENDGAME: BRITS MOVE BASRA TROOPS TO BORDER WITH IRAN

UK INDEPENDENT:

British forces have been sent from Basra to the volatile border with Iran amid warnings from the senior US commander in Iraq that Tehran is fomenting a "proxy war".

In signs of a fast-developing confrontation, the Iranians have threatened military action in response to attacks launched from Iraqi territory while the Pentagon has announced the building of a US base and fortified checkpoints at the frontier.

The UK operation, in which up to 350 troops are involved, has come at the request of the Americans, who say that elements close to the Iranian regime have stepped up supplies of weapons to Shia militias in recent weeks in preparation for attacks inside Iraq.

• SURROUNDING IRAN - BY HAVING TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAN - AND BASES TO THEIR NORTH - WERE OUR OPENING MOVES.
• MOVING OUR NAVAL ASSETS TO THE ARABIAN GULF AS WE CRANKED UP MULTILATERAL DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE WERE OUR MID-GAME MOVES.
• TWO WEEKS FROM NOW THE HARIRI TRIBUNAL OPENS; ISRAEL JETS SURGICALLY ATTACK SYRIA - FURTHER ISOLATING IRAN FROM ITS KEY REGIONAL ALLY.
• ANNOUNCING WE HAVE PROOF OF THEIR COMPLICITY IN DESTABILIZING IRAN AND MOVING TROOPS TO THEIR BORDER IS ACTUALLY THE BEGINNING OF THE ENDGAME.