UK, US to withdraw Iraq forces by early '07: papers

[cal04]

The United States and Britain are planning to pull all their troops out of Iraq by the spring of 2007, two British newspapers reported in their Sunday editions, quoting unnamed senior defense ministry sources. The Sunday Telegraph said the planned pull-out followed an acceptance by the two governments that the presence of foreign troops in Iraq was now a large obstacle to securing peace.

"The British government is understood to be the driving force behind the withdrawal plan but all 24 coalition members are likely to welcome the move, given the growing international unpopularity of the war," the Telegraph said.
There are currently about 135,000 U.S. soldiers and Marines and about 8,500 British troops in Iraq. The full U.S.-led coalition numbers around 160,000. Italy, which has the fourth largest contingent in Iraq, has said it plans to pull out this year.

Britain's Sunday Mirror newspaper also reported on the planned withdrawal saying it would happen within 12 months.
U.S. and Iraqi officials have said frequently in the past that foreign troops will be gradually withdrawn from Iraq once Iraqi security forces are capable of guaranteeing security for the 27 million population. U.S. and British troops have trained around 230,000 Iraqis to take on roles in the police force and a slowly expanding Iraqi army, although both are currently incapable of securing the country on their own. The U.S. military withdrew around 15,000 troops after Iraq had successful elections in December for its first full-term parliament since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Tensions in Iraq have soared over the past two weeks as fighting between the country's main Muslim sects has intensified. There is also an on-going two-year-old insurgency being waged by militants against the U.S.-backed Iraqi government, its security forces and foreign troops. The recent sectarian violence has provoked fears that the country is on the brink of civil war, a scenario that could greatly complicate the role of foreign troops. However, the Telegraph, quoting a defense official, said that if civil war were to break out, it would likely cause the withdrawal plan to be put off.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-03-04T232021Z_01_L04315254_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ-TROOPS-WITHDRAWAL.xml&rpc=22

[Kagemusha]

1. I think they cut and pasted from an article a year ago.

And the year before that, too.

[wookie294]

2. LOL

It's hilarious how some newspapers say withdrawal is coming soon; others say withdrawal isn't coming at all. Will the REAL George Bush Iraq policy please STAND UP!

[leveymg]

3. "presence of foreign troops in Iraq a large obstacle to securing peace"

So, what else is new?

Cheez :eyes:

[wtmusic]

7. Presence of Iraqis in Iraq a large obstacle to securing resources nt

[leveymg]

14. Presence of resources in Iraq a large obstacle to Iraqi security

Same in Iran. Will be in S.A.

[sam sarrha]

4. Bu$h said today we would stay as long as they wanted us to.. after all the

'mission was accomplished' a long time ago.. wasn't it..??

[redphish]

5. Brilliant analysis by the bush team.

I wonder how many poor, defenseless cannabis plants had to die to for them to come up with that shit.

[wtmusic]

6. Let me guess...right AFTER the election

so predictable.

[mom cat]

11. Yep. Right after they have collected their election brownie points.

It is an attempt to steal the issue from the Democrats, many of whom never had the issue in the first place.

[Tiggeroshii]

8. I think this is probably right

I think that we're probably gonna have several more pullouts civil war or no civil war. The foreshadowing of all this is of course the 7,000 troop pullout at the beginning of this year. I think Murtha is probably right when he told NPR somethign along the lines of "there will barely be any US presence in Iraq by November."

Part of the Rove strategy seems to be, say one thing and do another. He says he's "staying the course," but he is also relying on the media to be lazy dips and not report on any of the withdrawals.

[rodeodance]

12. I read today that 2,000 more US troops being sent to train police.

[Tiggeroshii]

18. Hmm.

I need to keep up. I wonder if it's broken even with the amount they withdrew. I'm with the original poster: "Will the real Iraq policy please stand up!"

[HuffleClaw]

9. but FIRST a HUUUUUUUUGE pre-election announcement.

'deeeeemocracy has prevailed... freedom has been assured...' etc...

[VegasWolf]

10. as taxi's explode in the photo-op background! nt

[WhiteTara]

13. now who's telling the "enemy" our troop movements

Isn't that the crap they were putting out when Murtha said redeploy the troops now? These guys think we are really stupid.

[cal04]

15. All British soldiers to be out of Iraq in 12 months

All British and United States troops serving in Iraq will be withdrawn within a year in an effort to bring peace and stability to the country. The news came as defence chiefs admitted privately that the British troop commitment in Afghanistan may last for up to 10 years.

The planned pull-out from Iraq follows the acceptance by London and Washington that the presence of the coalition, mainly composed of British and US troops, is now seen as the main obstacle to peace. According to a senior defence source directly involved in planning the withdrawal, Britain is the driving force behind the scheme. The early spring of next year has been identified as the optimum time for the start of the complex and dangerous operation.

The source explained that troop numbers were expected to decrease slightly over the next 12 months but that the bulk of British and American forces, who make up 138,000 of the coalition's 153,000 troops, would be withdrawn simultaneously. The British and American military had hoped to begin removing their forces from Iraq this year but those plans were shelved because of worsening security and the failure of both Sunni and Shia leaders to form a government of national unity.

The source added that the British Army had still not recovered - in terms of training and intervals between operational tours - from the war in Iraq almost three years ago.In recent months, both the US and British governments have both come under sustained pressure to name a date when the coalition will begin the withdrawal of forces. President George W Bush's popularity is at an all-time low in opinion polls and the Iraq war has so far cost the American taxpayer £150 billion. US forces have sustained more than 18,000 casualties; 2,297 servicemen have been killed. The cost to the British Government is estimated at £3 billion and 103 servicemen have died on operations.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/03/05/wirq05.xml&sSheet=/portal/2006/03/05/ixportaltop.html

[pinniped]

16. Gee, will the Iraqi forces be ready to control their country by then?

They have been getting a lot of press lately, but I think it's all BS.

[ConcernedCanuk]

17. Soooo - then why is the USA building bases in Iraq like crazy?

.
.
.

They ain't gonna leave Iraq.

EVER

Just ask Japan and Germany

[Voltaire99]

19. Oh, sure. They're coming home in 2007! Er, 2008! No, make that 2009!

2014 at the latest!

Peace with horror...I mean, honor! Light at the end of the turban! Ask not how your country can torture you, but who you can torture for your country!

[D-Notice]

20. ... to be

sent over to Iran....