British General: Our Presence ‘Instigated’ Violence In Iraq, 90% Reduction

thinkprogress.org — "The presence of British forces in downtown Basra, Iraq’s second-largest city, was the single largest instigator of violence," Maj. Gen. Graham Binns told reporters Thursday on a visit to Baghdad’s Green Zone. “We thought, ‘If 90 percent of the violence is directed at us, what would happen if we stepped back?,’” Binns said.