British general hints troops may stay in Iraq past 2005

[Barrett808]

LONDON (AFP) - British troops could be sent to help US forces anywhere inside Iraq and may stay in the country beyond the end of US-led coalition forces' mandate in 2005, Britain's army commander said.

General Sir Mike Jackson's remarks in the Independent newspaper come three weeks after British troops were deployed for the first time to a hotspot near Baghdad to support the US takeover of the rebel-stronghold of Fallujah.

Iraq's transition process, under way since June, specifies December 2005 as the end of the foreign military coalition's mandate, but Jackson, without giving any date, said the British deployment was "event-driven".

"How long we stay there is going to be event-driven," Jackson said.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/afp/20041122/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_britain_us

[bin.dare]

1. and why is this news ?

we knew the troops would stay "as long as they are needed".
tony prevented Labourites from setting a timetable for withdrawal.
And Britain has been bombing Iraq throughout the 90's so why forfeit the oppurtunity for more killing by withdrawing?