Iraq: How's this for colonial arrogance?

FT: British officials on Thursday played down demands for an apology issued by the authorities in Basra.

The Foreign Office described the demand for an apology as a local issue and not a reflection of the feelings of the Iraqi prime minister, who met the UK defence secretary on Wednesday in London. "The Iraqi government announced an inquiry into the events on Monday, and both the Iraqi prime minister and John Reid stressed they had a strong relationship and that this would continue," the Foreign Office said. Read more

db: Is this the right approach? Don't we, kind of, need the support of the p.e.o.p.l.e?