With friends like these

Thousands of US military personnel based in the UK
have been banned by commanders from travelling to
London in the wake of Thursday's bomb attacks.
Personnel, most of them from US Air Force units at RAF
Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath, in Suffolk, have been
told not to go within the M25 motorway.

Family members who are from the US are also being
urged to stay away.

The US air force said the order had been made in the
interests of the safety of its troops.

'Safety paramount'

Most of the 12,000 US personnel in the UK are based at
Mildenhall and Lakenheath.

"We are concerned about the safety of our folks and
are trying to do what we can to protect them," RAF
Mildenhall spokesman Matt Tulis said. -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4673987.stm

I knew this two days ago when a US major told me about
the ban and him ignoring it. He told his CO that his
family home and church were here and he was visiting.

In the past I have viewed with contempt the cowardly
tourists, mainly US and French, who would not come
here because of perceived threats to their safety.

To the US military i would say, "C'mon guys. Who is
standing with you in Iraq? Get off base into London
and show an example."

As for me, I am travelling on the Tube today to see the cricket.