We wrote about Flight Lt Malcolm Kendall-Smith before, a RAF doctor who had refused to return to Iraq for a third tour of duty, claiming the war on Iraq was illegal. Now this even occurred in 2005. Some might say Flight Lt Kendall-Smith had done his duty to God, Queen and Country by serving two tours there. Admittedly he probably saw less carnage and maimed bodies than American military doctors have, since the UK has suffered far fewer casualties. That, of course, is not the issue at hand.

Flight Lt Kendall-Smith has been variously described as “an intense and thoughtful individual with a very informed conscience," [having] a very informed conscience, and [as] a thoughtful individual, quite intense in some ways. One felt like saying to him 'lighten up'." He claimed he had developed a conscience after his second tour in Iraq and refused orders to prepare and to deploy for a third tour. He was found guilty of refusing to obey orders, sentenced to eight months confinement and dismissal from the RAF.

Well, maybe he just thought two tours were enough. I can’t say that I blame him. A cynical man would say those UK troops are over there because their country needs the oil, and their Prime Minister, Mr Blair, likes tagging along behind Mr Bush’s heels. Eight months, though. That’s certainly a generous sentence. He was very fortunate.

In the same article we also mentioned Trooper Ben Griffin, of the UK’s SAS regiment. Mr Griffin also refused to return to Iraq and apparently was allowed to resign. This was a bare bones announcement, and no further inquiries were responded to, since the British Ministry of Defense is extremely close-mouthed about their Special Operations personnel.

The UK has suffered only 103 reported deaths in Iraq, compared to a reported figure of 2,389, as of the end of March. There have been at least 33 reported US deaths in April. And there’s no real point in believing this figure, nor in discussing it, because US personnel wounded in Iraq who die in Germany or the US are not included in this total.

A cynical man would say there’s no point in believing the figures because they come from Mr Bush’s malAdministration.

And our Army is dying, the death of a thousand cuts.