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Thread started 02/20/07 5:40pm

cborgman

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UK to begin withdrawing Iraq troops

UK to begin withdrawing Iraq troops


Story Highlights
• 1,500 British troops to go home soon, 3,000 by end of year, newspaper reports
• UK has 7,000 troops in Iraq; more than 130 have died there
• Control of southern district to be turned over to Iraqi forces
• U.S. expresses gratitude for British contribution


LONDON, England (CNN) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair will order nearly half the British troops in Iraq home by the end of 2007, British news outlets reported early Wednesday.

The British Broadcasting Corporation and The Sun newspaper said Blair will tell the House of Commons on Wednesday that 1,500 soldiers will be back in Britain within weeks and that 3,000 of Britain's contingent of 7,000 will be back by the end of the year. (Watch how Blair told President Bush of the UK's plans )

"Control of the south of the country, unaffected by the civil war raging around Baghdad, will be handed back to the Iraqis," the tabloid Sun reported.

The move comes as the United States is sending more troops into Iraq in an effort to put down a wave of sectarian violence in Baghdad and pacify the western province of Anbar, the heart of the Sunni Arab insurgency.

In Washington, National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said President Bush has been grateful for British support "in the past and into the future."

"While the United Kingdom is maintaining a robust force in southern Iraq, we're pleased that conditions in Basra have improved sufficiently that they are able to transition more control to the Iraqis," Johndroe said in a statement issued Tuesday evening. "The United States shares the same goal of turning responsibility over to the Iraqi Security Forces and reducing the number of American troops in Iraq."

In November, Defense Secretary Des Browne said Britain planned to bring several thousand troops home from Iraq by the end of 2007, but he gave no specific numbers. The remaining troops would be used to train Iraqi military and police forces, provide backup for Iraqi troops and protect supply lines for British, U.S. and allied troops who remained.

But Blair said last month that an "arbitrary timetable" for withdrawal "would send the most disastrous signal to the people we are fighting in Iraq."

Britain contributed about 46,000 soldiers, sailors and air force personnel to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. More than half of those troops were withdrawn within two months of the invasion, and the remaining contingent, now numbering about 7,000, was based mostly in the southern city of Basra.

The war has claimed more than 130 British lives and has never been popular with the British public. In January, as the United States announced plans to increase its contingent in Iraq by more than 20,000, British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said London would not be following suit.

Opposition to the war has hurt Blair politically, with his ruling Labor Party losing seats in Parliament and in local elections in the past two years. The prime minister announced in September that he would leave office within a year.

Report of the withdrawal comes three days after reports that Prince Harry would deploy with his unit to Iraq in April or May. (Full story)

His father, Prince Charles, was a pilot with the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. Harry's grandfather, Prince Philip, had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy. Harry's uncle, Prince Andrew, was a Royal Navy pilot and served in the Falklands War against Argentina 25 years ago.

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Reply #1 posted 02/20/07 6:17pm

XxAxX

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woot! good news!

ufo
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Reply #2 posted 02/20/07 7:27pm

Mach

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moderator

clapping

The Whorg - org whores unite !

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Reply #3 posted 02/20/07 7:59pm

SisterGirl

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And I wonder if the US Gov will follow suit any time soon. Oh the things that makes one go hmmmm.... magnify

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Reply #4 posted 02/20/07 8:06pm

DiminutiveRock
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SisterGirl said:

And I wonder if the US Gov will follow suit any time soon.


pray

"I think one of the things that we're probably proudest of -- I certainly am -- is that the message was always love, in any form we portrayed it." - Paul McCartney
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Reply #5 posted 02/21/07 2:01am

BartVanHemelen

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cborgman said:

UK to begin withdrawing Iraq troops


So will Bush et al now claim that "the terrorists have won"? That Blair has "emboldened the terrorists"?

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Reply #6 posted 02/21/07 2:52am

SoulAlive

Hopefully,this will put pressure on Bush to start doing the same thing.

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Reply #7 posted 02/21/07 2:53am

SoulAlive

BartVanHemelen said:

cborgman said:

UK to begin withdrawing Iraq troops


So will Bush et al now claim that "the terrorists have won"? That Blair has "emboldened the terrorists"?


I can't wait to see how Bush tries to spin this

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Reply #8 posted 02/21/07 10:43am

Abrazo

Pray whatever you can but Bush is not going to withdraw, at least not without first beating the shit out of Iran too, and neither is the next president.

You are not my "friend" because you threaten my security.
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Reply #9 posted 02/21/07 10:45am

Abrazo

BartVanHemelen said:

cborgman said:

UK to begin withdrawing Iraq troops


So will Bush et al now claim that "the terrorists have won"? That Blair has "emboldened the terrorists"?

No.

The UK has been a good and brave friend, we feel with them for the loss of their soldiers and we will always stand with them. The British can be proud of the achievements and sacrifices of its military in the past and in the future.

You are not my "friend" because you threaten my security.
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Reply #10 posted 02/21/07 10:46am

Abrazo

SoulAlive said:

Hopefully,this will put pressure on Bush to start doing the same thing.

right....

azzif

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Reply #11 posted 02/21/07 12:05pm

unkemptpueblo

SoulAlive said:

BartVanHemelen said:



So will Bush et al now claim that "the terrorists have won"? That Blair has "emboldened the terrorists"?


I can't wait to see how Bush tries to spin this



Dude, there is so much spin on this one, I think they've made themselves dizzy.





Bush administration calls British withdrawal from Iraq a good thing



WASHINGTON (AP) — The Bush administration said Wednesday that Britain's decision to withdraw 1,600 troops from Iraq is a positive sign that fits with the overall strategy for stabilizing the country.
Statements from the White House press secretary, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice — all traveling — attempted to put a good face on the decision announced in London by British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

VIDEO: Bush sees Britain's pullout as 'sign of success'

"Increasingly our role will be support and training, and our numbers will be able to reduce accordingly," said Blair, who discussed the move with President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Britain intends to drop its force in Iraq — mostly in the southern part of the country — below 5,000 by late summer, and keep British troops in Iraq until at least 2008 for missions to secure the Iraq-Iran border and maintain supply routes in central Iraq, Blair told the House of Commons.

THE BRITISH PLAN: Blair announces timetable

"The British have done what is really the plan for the country as a whole, which is to transfer security responsibility to the Iraqis as the situation permits," Rice said at a press conference in Berlin, where she was in meetings on the Mideast peace process. "The coalition remains intact and, in fact, the British still have thousands of troops deployed in Iraq."

Cheney called it good news.

"I look at it and see it is actually an affirmation that there are parts of Iraq where things are going pretty well," Cheney told ABC News while in Tokyo."In fact, I talked to a friend just the other day who had driven to Baghdad down to Basra, seven hours, found the situation dramatically improved from a year or so ago, sort of validated the British view they had made progress in southern Iraq and that they can therefore reduce their force levels," he added.

Cheney also harshly criticized the approach on Iraq by Democratic leaders in Congress. In the House, Democrats led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., who chairs a subcommittee that oversees defense spending, have said they will attempt to place restrictions on Bush's request for an additional $93 billion for the Iraq war to make it difficult or impossible to deploy all 21,500 extra troops to the war.

"I think if we were to do what Speaker Pelosi and Congressman Murtha are suggesting, all we will do is validate the al-Qaeda strategy," the vice president said in the interview.

Murtha has described a series of provisions, such as requiring the Pentagon to meet certain standards for training and equipping the troops and for making sure they have enough time at home between deployments. Democrats say the provisions would protect the troops, but Republicans argue the effect would be to deny troops what they need to do their job.

Presidential spokesman Tony Snow, on a trip with Bush to Tennessee, said Britain's decision was not made on a timeline of the sort the president has rejected for American troops. "What you had is progress first, and then the removal," Snow said.

"The president's made clear all along, we want to move as rapidly as we can to build capability on the part of the Iraqis so they can in fact assume, first, primary responsibility and then eventually sole responsibility," he said.

And Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said there was no thought that the British was abandoning the United States when it is struggling to send thousands more troops into Iraq. The "British have been steadfast allies in Iraq and they will continue to be," he said.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
[Edited 2/21/07 12:07pm]

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Reply #12 posted 02/21/07 12:36pm

Abrazo

Of course!! duh

What do you in case of failure?

Turn it into succes! biggrin

The british leaving only means that soutern Iraq is safe adn democratic!

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Right?

biggrin

Now let's see what the Iraqis are saying! smile

Iraqis welcome British and Danish pullout by Karim Jamil
1 hour, 34 minutes ago



BASRA, Iraq (AFP) - Iraqis welcomed the news on Wednesday that Britain and Denmark are preparing to dramatically scale back their military forces in and around the unruly southern port city of Basra.

Sami al-Askari, a Shiite lawmaker and political adviser to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, said: "The withdrawal is the wish of the Iraqi government and all the political powers in the country."

"We welcome any withdrawal of British forces from inside the centre of the city," said Hakim al-Mayahi, head of the Basra provincial security council, which has had a fractious relationship with the British.

An AFP reporter who visited British forces in Basra and at the airbase last month found both under almost daily mortar attack from militias in the city.
On Monday, hundreds of Basrawis marched to the British consulate to demand the release of local detainees.

"We want to see British forces leaving as soon as possible. Security is in place in Basra thanks to the Iraqi police and army," said 27-year-old Ali Abdullah, who works at the city's electricity firm.

Law student Muthanna Ihsan, 20, agreed.

"Iraqi forces in Basra are ready and able to ensure security. Every Basrawi wishes to see all British forces leaving at one time not gradually," he said.

And Razzaq Nasir, a 58-year-old oil worker, was categoric: "There is no need for them. The British forces in Basra are a big problem for the Iraqi forces and for ordinary Basrawis."

Last year, when British troops pulled out of a base they had operated near Amara in Meysan Province north of Basra, looters stormed the compound and the Mahdi Army, a Shiite militia, held a victory parade.

British commanders are hoping for a calmer handover in Basra.

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Reply #13 posted 02/24/07 7:42am

SlamGlam

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lets see who has the most to gain? oh yeah terrorist and iran... so you all cheer and hoop it up as the real evil ones sit back and watch the weak minded fools get their way.

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Reply #14 posted 02/24/07 12:28pm

GeorgeWBush

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SlamGlam said:

lets see who has the most to gain? oh yeah terrorist

huh? I'm confused now. what you aiming at? what do we have to gain if the Brits pull out? I don't gitit.. confuse
[Edited 2/24/07 12:28pm]

The enormous gap between what US leaders do in the world and what Americans think their leaders are doing is one of the great propaganda accomplishments of the dominant political mythology. - Michael Parenti
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Reply #15 posted 02/24/07 12:33pm

SlamGlam

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GeorgeWBush said:


huh? I'm confused now. what you aiming at? what do we have to gain if the Brits pull out? I don't gitit.. confuse



you sure do live up to your screen name

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Reply #16 posted 02/25/07 4:42am

Abrazo

SlamGlam said:

lets see who has the most to gain? oh yeah terrorist and iran... so you all cheer and hoop it up as the real evil ones sit back and watch the weak minded fools get their way.

What are you talking about?

Bush and Blair are saying southern Iraq is safe from terrorists and ready fro democracy.

You don't believe them? smile

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Reply #17 posted 02/25/07 8:12am

SlamGlam

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Abrazo said:



Bush and Blair are saying southern Iraq is safe from terrorists and ready fro democracy.

You don't believe them? smile


Do you?

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Reply #18 posted 02/25/07 8:33am

Abrazo

SlamGlam said:

Abrazo said:



Bush and Blair are saying southern Iraq is safe from terrorists and ready fro democracy.

You don't believe them? smile


Do you?

Answer the question.

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Reply #19 posted 02/25/07 10:07am

SlamGlam

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Abrazo said:

SlamGlam said:



Do you?

Answer the question.


no i do not.

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Reply #20 posted 02/25/07 12:42pm

GeorgeWBush

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hold on there, stop the press! so we have just two choices here. either...

(a) me yours truly, your selected president is lying to the public!!!

(b) or I am only is misinformed, and you SlamGlam have better information and better judgment on the Iraq situtation


now make your choice and have the guts to answer. (a) or (b)?

The enormous gap between what US leaders do in the world and what Americans think their leaders are doing is one of the great propaganda accomplishments of the dominant political mythology. - Michael Parenti
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Reply #21 posted 02/25/07 12:53pm

2the9s

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cborgman said:


Britain contributed about 46,000 soldiers, sailors and air force personnel to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. More than half of those troops were withdrawn within two months of the invasion, and the remaining contingent, now numbering about 7,000, was based mostly in the southern city of Basra.


As Inspector Gadget would say, "Wowsers!"

smile

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Reply #22 posted 02/25/07 2:00pm

Abrazo

SlamGlam said:

Abrazo said:


Answer the question.


no i do not.

Ah, the usual slamglam tactic. When you can't answer a tough question...

You stick your head in your ass! lol

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Reply #23 posted 02/25/07 2:05pm

SlamGlam

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Abrazo said:

SlamGlam said:



no i do not.

Ah, the usual slamglam tactic. When you can't answer a tough question...

You stick your head in your ass! lol


i answers wise in hymer... i do not beive the area is ready to be on its own. you are such an wacky person....

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Reply #24 posted 02/25/07 2:12pm

Abrazo

SlamGlam said:

Abrazo said:


Ah, the usual slamglam tactic. When you can't answer a tough question...

You stick your head in your ass! lol


i answers wise in hymer... i do not beive the area is ready to be on its own. you are such an wacky person....

try and spell that again please

because these hyroglyphics of yours I cant decipher.

--
[Edited 2/25/07 14:13pm]

You are not my "friend" because you threaten my security.
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Reply #25 posted 02/25/07 2:18pm

SlamGlam

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Abrazo said:



because these hyroglyphics of yours I cant decipher.




LOL yeah i have some visual issues so sometimes i spell uniquily ...

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Reply #26 posted 02/25/07 2:19pm

Abrazo

SlamGlam said:

Abrazo said:



because these hyroglyphics of yours I cant decipher.




LOL yeah i have some visual issues so sometimes i spell uniquily ...

Well, it makes you come across just as badly as when I can decipher it, so dont worry.

Anyways what were you trying to say?

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Reply #27 posted 02/26/07 11:00am

SlamGlam

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Abrazo said:



Anyways what were you trying to say?


i do not believe that the region that the UK is pulling out of is ready to be controlled by the Iraqi government. I believe that is spin at best and likely a flat out lie.

no matter what a person thinks about the war, no matter how poorly it is going, leaving now is going to make it worst for the good people of Iraq. if the US ;eaves too soon the region will very likely require another much larger military response at a latter date.

let's face a fact, if it gets too bad the UN is going to have to do something. at this point i think the UN and its member nations need to decided do they want to step in now or risk it getting 10 times worst in a few years?

we can blame bush all we like (and be thankful that we have that right) but blame is NOT going to fix anything.

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Reply #28 posted 02/26/07 11:04am

DiminutiveRock
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SlamGlam said:

Abrazo said:



Anyways what were you trying to say?


i do not believe that the region that the UK is pulling out of is ready to be controlled by the Iraqi government. I believe that is spin at best and likely a flat out lie.

no matter what a person thinks about the war, no matter how poorly it is going, leaving now is going to make it worst for the good people of Iraq. if the US ;eaves too soon the region will very likely require another much larger military response at a latter date.

let's face a fact, if it gets too bad the UN is going to have to do something. at this point i think the UN and its member nations need to decided do they want to step in now or risk it getting 10 times worst in a few years?

we can blame bush all we like (and be thankful that we have that right) but blame is NOT going to fix anything.


Since when does Bush ever listen or want help and intervention from the UN? Seems to me Bush made his bed...

"I think one of the things that we're probably proudest of -- I certainly am -- is that the message was always love, in any form we portrayed it." - Paul McCartney
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Reply #29 posted 02/26/07 11:09am

SlamGlam

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DiminutiveRocker said:

Since when does Bush ever listen or want help and intervention from the UN?


if he did not want it why did he spend so much time trying to get their approval? it was only AFTER he was turned down that he spun it as not needing the UN's approval.


Seems to me Bush made his bed..


like i said, blame bush all you like...but give it some thought! who as the most to loose? THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ. so to shrug it off as bush's problem really seems to say you do not care how many people in Iraq will die and suffer if we just pulled out.

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