The British Are Leaving.

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Justin24

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http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/02/20/uk.iraq.troops/index.html

Reports: UK to begin withdrawing Iraq troops
POSTED: 6:04 p.m. EST, February 20, 2007
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair will order nearly half of all British troops in Iraq home by the end of 2007, British news outlets reported early Wednesday.

The Sun newspaper said that Blair will tell the House of Commons 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.

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

British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said in January that the United Kingdom was unlikely to send any more troops to 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.

Britain contributed about 46,000 troops, 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 More than half of those troops were withdrawn within two months of the invasion, and the remaining contingent, now numbering about 7,000, was based mostly in the southern city of Basra.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, 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, and 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.

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.
 
coalition of


200px-The_Departed_poster.jpg
 
When the job is done, why stay?

U2Man said:


when is it election time in britain?

When Blair decides. He should decide this year, probably in the first half.
 
U2Man said:
i wouldnt say that the job is done.

Me neither. Time will show if it's early enough to decrease the strength of the troops in that area.

But they are certainly further developed than Bagdad is.

So it seems such a strong troop presence isn't needed anymore.
 
Vincent Vega said:


Me neither. Time will show if it's early enough to decrease the strength of the troops in that area.

But they are certainly further developed than Bagdad is.

So it seems such a strong troop presence isn't needed anymore.

then i guess the u.s. could need some british help in bagdad.

that area has been more peaceful and cooperative than bagdad since the very start of the war, due to the strong presence of shiites there.
 
deep said:
Brits = cut and run surrender monkeys :yes:


Blair is W's Runaway Bride?

The British withdrew far more troops in 2003 when they went down from 46,000 to just over 20,000. The British have been gradually withdrawing troops each year as conditions on the ground will allow it.

This is not news.

The British lost far more troops in the early 1970s in Northern Ireland than they have lost in southern Iraq over the past 4 years.
 
Dont know what all the cut and run stuff is about, Britain is stretched to breaking point, i think % wise we have more troops away on duty than any other european country. We have stuck out this farce of a war for too long anyway, its not like blair has any say in policy anyway.

p.s British equipment needs updating , its very out of date.
 
vaz02 said:
Dont know what all the cut and run stuff is about, Britain is stretched to breaking point, i think % wise we have more troops away on duty than any other european country. We have stuck out this farce of a war for too long anyway, its not like blair has any say in policy anyway.

p.s British equipment needs updating , its very out of date.

Then Join the Queens army.
 
U2Man said:
denmark conquered iraq alone.

I still like the news about Denmark coming with mowers, snowploughs and salt

that area has been more peaceful and cooperative than bagdad since the very start of the war, due to the strong presence of shiites there.

I agree with you, that surely helped.
Bu I think the Brits also had a different strategy, or take on it, that helped develop a more peaceful environment.
 
vaz02 said:
Dont know what all the cut and run stuff is about, Britain is stretched to breaking point,

Britain is stretched to the breaking point because it has 7,000 troops in Iraq? If that were the case the deployment of 46,000 British troops to Iraq and Kuwait in 2003 would have been impossible.
 
so ... other countries (and apparently Denmark is now about to do the same) are removing their small remaining forces in accordance to a timetable.

yet another blow to Bush. Iraq is over.

why would we send more troops precisely when our few allies are removing theirs?
 
well, obviously denmark does whatever britain does. it has been like that since the very start of the war.
 
Well the Iraqi people seem to be happy about this.

Iraqis welcome British and Danish pullout by Karim Jamil
1 hour, 48 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.

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British forces have been based in Basra, Iraq's second largest city, since the US-led invasion of March 2003, fighting insurgents and illegal militia forces bent on controlling the region's lucrative oil industry.

They have not faced the sectarian tensions that dog American attempts to impose order further north, as Basra is a largely Shiite city whose Sunni minority poses no threat to local powerplayers and faces little persecution.

But the 7,200-strong British contingent has nevertheless clashed with political and tribal militias. Its bases still come under almost daily mortar and rocket fire and more than 130 soldiers have died in four years.

British officers say they plan to pull out of three bases in the city itself and a logistics base in Shuaiba outside the town, and gradually concentrate their forces at their headquarters at Basra airport.

Prime Minister Tony Blair announced Wednesday that British troop numbers in southern Iraq would be reduced from 7,100 to 5,500 in the months ahead. Denmark said its smaller force of 460 troops would be home by August.

Blair said, the British troops would remain "as we are wanted and have a job to do", but in fact, most Iraqis in Basra or in the goverment in Baghdad said they were already looking forward to seeing the British pull out.

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.

Nevertheless, British commanders feel that local Iraqi forces have made great progress under their tutelage and are approaching the point where they can ensure security with a minimum of support from coalition forces.

On Tuesday, British commander Major General Jonathan Shaw announced that the Iraqi army's 10th division, which is based in Basra, will henceforth receive orders directly from its own government rather than Britain.

"Today marks another important milestone on the road to Iraqi self-reliance," Shaw said.

Training Iraqi security forces has not all been plain sailing for the British, who have clashed with rogue elements of the Basra police and in December blew up the headquarters of the city's serious crimes squad.

Nevertheless, the feeling in Basra was that it was time for the British to go. 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.
 
deep said:
Brits = cut and run surrender monkeys :yes:


Blair is W's Runaway Bride?


Did you get someone to post that thread for you? such long words for one so obviously lacking intelligence.


The main reason for leaving, is probably they're sick & tired of being shot & blown to bits by "friendly" fire!
 
^ deep was joking; he's very smart. and frickin' hilarious.

besides, Tony did it all to protect Prince Harry.
 
MrPryck2U said:
What's next? Are the Canadiens leaving by 2008?

Canadiens? :confused: These are Canadiens:

Canadiens.jpg


Come to think of it, they might help out over there...:wink:

If you are refering to Canadians then no, we currently have troops deployed in Afganistan but none in Iraq that I am aware of...
 
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