Kazakhstan troops to quit Iraq in May -minister

[Robbien]

ALMATY, April 7 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan will pull its troops out of Iraq when the tour of its present contingent ends in May, Defence Minister Mukhtar Altynbayev said on Wednesday.

Altynbayev also said the Central Asian state's troops, about 30-strong, had been ordered confined to its camp until tensions abated around the southern town of Kut, where they are deployed.

"You know that the term of our second group is running out. We have therefore proposed that when the term ends there will be no further contingent sent to Iraq. Matters will end there," Altynbayev said on Khabar television.

He said Kazakh servicemen, most of whom are engineers, had suffered no casualties in fighting between forces of the U.S.-led coalition and followers of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

"We have barred our contingent from leaving camp while tensions remain high," he told the television station.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L07264729.htm

[TheFarseer]

1. Yeah, they're alot of help

I'm surpised more countries aren't pulling their troops. I'm sure that's coming as soon as they take some casualties. And what do you suppose we had to promise them to get 30 lousey troops?

[Cooley Hurd]

2. We're going to see more of this...

It's add'l burden on the US military. Squeaky Rumsfeld and General Myers are going to have a press conference @ 3:30 today. Get ready for a reserve call-up...

[yellowcanine]

3. Coalition of the "It's your problem, dude."

"We're outta here."

[Voltaire99]

10. Coalition of the "We're not making The Passion of the Christ II for you!"

"Get your own extras."

[callous taoboy]

11. That's rich, Voltaire.

Funny.

[leftchick]

4. The coalition is dropping like flies...

hmmm, sounds like a draft sooner than expected.

[lucky777]

5. I have a son there . . . his mom says that people there

have very mixed feeling, with some anti-US sentiment being voiced. They are nominally our ally but they have about 30% Islamic population, and religion is now allowed there (it was formerly not allowed under Soviet rule). There is trouble in some of the neighboring "stans" -- I just hope that Kazakhstan stays out of this, they have enough problems there. Worst case scenario -- I have to bring him and his mom over here to stay with me and my girlfriend -- what a mess.

[Robbien]

9. Isn't the "stans" the area the Russians and Chinese

are fighting over for the oil reserves?

[RedEarth]

6. The coalition of the unusual is starting to unravel

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the 14 troops from Nepal were to pull out later in the week. However, bush might be able to convince Madagascar to send some replacements.

[truthspeaker]

7. Good for them!

[Christ was Socialist]

8. I admit ignorance

I didn't even know they were there.

[daleo]

12. No real impact in terms of number

But Rummy and Bush will be learning the lesson of reverse leverage. Just as they trumpeted these contributions in the first place, as small in number but big in public relations value, they will now find that the effect of them pulling out, although small in number, is also big in public relations value, albeit negative this time.

[llmart]

13. The "coalition of the willing"

is hightailing it outta there! Who can blame them?