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Author Topic: Blair Says He'll Withdraw Troops from Iraq
jeff house
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Babbler # 518

posted 20 February 2007 02:58 PM      Profile for jeff house     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Hard to tell how real this is, just yet, but it sure does make Bush's "surge" look pathetically ill advised.

There are currently 8,500 British troops in Iraq.

quote:
LONDON - Prime Minister Tony Blair will announce on Wednesday a new timetable for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq, with 1,500 to return home in several weeks, the BBC reported.


Blair will also tell the House of Commons during his regular weekly appearance that a total of about 3,000 British soldiers will have left southern Iraq by the end of 2007, if the security there is sufficient.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070220/ap_on_re_eu/britain_iraq


From: toronto | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
quelar
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posted 21 February 2007 01:41 PM      Profile for quelar     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Blair is pulling out British troops. Denmark is leaving. Lithuania says it may withdraw its tiny 53 troop contingent

Watch out for little Georgie to lash out as his game falls apart around him.


From: In Dig Nation | Registered: Jun 2002  |  IP: Logged
siren
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Babbler # 7470

posted 21 February 2007 02:20 PM      Profile for siren     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
Originally posted by quelar:
Watch out for little Georgie to lash out as his game falls apart around him.

Apparently not:

quote:
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice played down the British pullback, saying it is consistent with the U.S. plan to turn over more control to Iraqi forces.

"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," Ms. Rice said in Germany, where she is meeting with the German foreign minister. "The coalition remains intact and, in fact, the British still have thousands of troops deployed in Iraq."

....................

Mr. Blair and Mr. Bush talked by secure video link Tuesday about Britain's proposed withdrawal, U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. He also said that Mr. Bush views Britain's troop cutbacks as "a sign of success" in Iraq.

"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," Mr. Johndroe said.

G&M


It's all going splendidly well, just as planned, evident when your allies turn tail and run. Of course what the Bushites are saying in private may be just a wee bit different.


From: Of course we could have world peace! But where would be the profit in that? | Registered: Nov 2004  |  IP: Logged
miles
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posted 21 February 2007 03:06 PM      Profile for miles     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
I would like to think that Blair is pulling troops out for the right reasons.

He is not. Is it a coincidence that the announcement of troops leaving comes only days after stories emerge that Prince Harry might be sent to Iraq.

Blair did this for the Queen not because he thinks the war is bad.


From: vaughan | Registered: Oct 2004  |  IP: Logged
quelar
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posted 22 February 2007 06:04 AM      Profile for quelar     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Bah! The Brits don't have a problem mobilizing their royalty into war situations. Prince Andrew proudly stood aboard the Aircraft Carrier Invincible during the Falklands War, apparently running 'secret missions'. Harry would see the same sort of action, patroling the seas 200 miles off shore, or something along those lines.

Updated to add this.Looks like he IS going

[ 22 February 2007: Message edited by: quelar ]


From: In Dig Nation | Registered: Jun 2002  |  IP: Logged
Briguy
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Babbler # 1885

posted 22 February 2007 08:07 AM      Profile for Briguy     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
Originally posted by miles:
I would like to think that Blair is pulling troops out for the right reasons.

He is not. Is it a coincidence that the announcement of troops leaving comes only days after stories emerge that Prince Harry might be sent to Iraq.

Blair did this for the Queen not because he thinks the war is bad.


Huzzah? Harry is still going to serve his time, as it were.


From: No one is arguing that we should run the space program based on Physics 101. | Registered: Nov 2001  |  IP: Logged

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