Call it retreat, call it a tactical manoeuvre.

It was bringing to perfection its last great tactical manoeuvre, the massed raid followed by the hunger-strike in prison.

For some politicians standing in moderate districts or states this has been a tactical manoeuvre to avoid being tarred by association.

Nigeria's Defence Ministry spokesman Major-General Chris Olukolade said the troops charged across the border in a tactical manoeuvre during a sustained battle with the militants.

Such tactical manoeuvres were the warp and woof of the Northern Ireland peace process.

Nor were the larger tactical manoeuvres even of 1870 an improvement on those of the American campaigns.

At times, they mustered bursts of speed or zipped across with width of the road in tactical manoeuvres.

At no time during the engagement were American troops forced to withdraw or move back from their positions, except for tactical manoeuvres.