Report: UK troops to quit Iraq soon

[sabra]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-5890505,00.html

Report: UK troops to quit Iraq soon

British, Australian and Japanese troops will transfer security responsibilities in southern Iraq to Iraqi authorities next week, a news report in Japan said.

They will then withdraw from the area soon after,

At a defence meeting of the three countries last week in London, British officials told their counterparts that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki would announce the transfer of security authority in southern Iraq on Tuesday, Kyodo News agency reported, citing coalition sources.

London would then immediately announce the pullout of its forces from the southern province of al-Muthanna, and Japan and Australia would follow with a similar announcement on Wednesday, Kyodo said.

Japan's pullout could be complete as early as July, according to the report.

[Roland99]

1. NBC reported this morning that 60,000 Iraqi police/troops are Level 1/2

So, why aren't US troops STANDING DOWN??

[keopeli]

3. We have 14 permanent bases across the country.

We can't leave until Haliburton has spent all of our money.

Then, we'll think about it.

[leftyladyfrommo]

4. The sad part is that you may be absolutely right. n/t

[Roland99]

5. I've read in more than one place that's pared down to 4 large bases

[daleo]

16. Is that Level 1 and/or 2

Or Level one-half?

The U.S. simply doesn't trust Iraqi troops. Probably for good reason. Once the U.S. troops are gone they would probably turn their weapons on whatever is left of the Green Zone.

[Roland99]

17. heh....level 1 and/or 2

[Greeby]

2. I keep hearing this every month

And wish it were true, but I doubt it

[Benhurst]

6. This time it may be true.

Little Tony Blair is in deep doo-doo at home.

[Greeby]

7. Umm, you're telling me? I gotta live with him nt

[leftchick]

8. this must make them "cut and runners"

with a timetable. Also it makes them smarter than the US.

[Barrett808]

9. Koizumi said to announce Iraq withdrawal next week

TOKYO (AFP) - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will announce next week that Japan is ending a military mission in Iraq, its first since World War II to a country where fighting is underway, reports say.

Japanese troops are constitutionally barred from combat and are protected in part by British troops who have told Tokyo they will transfer authority in the area next week to Iraqi troops, the reports said.

Koizumi expects to announce the pullout on Wednesday, Kyodo News said. The Mainichi Shimbun reported in its evening edition that the withdrawal would be complete by mid-July.

Japanese officials had sent repeated signals that the pullout would take place in the summer as the domestically unpopular deployment would have run its course.

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060616/wl_afp/japaniraqmilitarypolitics

[rodeodance]

10. good, now we need Aust. and Denmark to do the same.

[struggle4progress]

26. Remarks by Remarks by .. Bush and Prime Minister .. of Denmark ..

Remarks by President Bush and Prime Minister Rasmussen of Denmark in Joint Press Availability
Friday June 9, 1:03 pm ET

BUSH: ... It was important to have good weather today, because the Prime Minister is going to give me a mountain biking lesson after this news conference ... and he brought up the Guantanamo issue. And I appreciate the fact that the Prime Minister is concerned about the decisions that I made on -- toward Guantanamo ...

RASMUSSEN: ... When unacceptable events happen in Abu Ghraib, and when allegations are made about horrific events in Haditha, it is not only a tragedy for the victims, it is damaging to our own efforts and an offense to our very own values ...

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060609/dcf026.html?.v=51

[Virginia Dare]

11. Coalition of the dwindling...n/t

[acmavm]

12. Didn't bush** just see Koizumi???? Did he finally get a clue

about with a wingnut crazed insane criminal frat-boy asshole he was dealing with?????

[rocktivity]

13. What's Japanese for

"Sorry, Georgie, but you're not getting ME voted onto the unemployment line like those guys in Italy and Spain! Hasta la vista, moran!"

:headbang:
rocknation

[Art_from_Ark]

22. Actually, Koizumi's planning on stepping down in September

And he was tickled pink to get a bomber jacket from bu$h a couple of years ago, so I couldn't imagine him saying "Abayo, bakayaro!" ("Hasta la vista, moran!"). He's thinking about his "legacy", and I also think that the guy who's expected to replace him doesn't want to be saddled with Koizumi's loose ends.

[Ian David]

14. Well, there's still Poland...

Crazy Talk We Can’t Ignore: The Bush-Condi Rumors
<snip>

And now the rumors get really weird. Leola McConnell, a former professional dominatrix now running for governor in Nevada — a race that has also attracted an ex-porn star — alleges as follows:

“President Bush’s speech to the nation Monday. If he doesn’t say he’s a gay American or at the least a bisexual one then he shouldn’t be making one at all. And the notion that it would be in regards to writing bigotry into our nation’s Constitution is reprehensible. Too bad it isn’t me doing the rebuttal because in 1984, I watched him perform (with the enthusiasm of homosexual male who had done this many times before) a homosexual act on another man, namely Victor Ashe. Victor Ashe is the current Ambassador to the nation of Poland who should also come out like former Governor McGreevey of New Jersey and admit to being a gay American. Other homo-erotic acts were also performed by then private citizen George Bush because I performed one of them on him personally.

I am the woman this website (bushssecretlifein84.tripod.com) speaks of that has been posted on the net nearly two years now. None of this would be the business of anyone but President Bush’s little ruse to save his failed presidency by using DOMA to divide Americans one from the other has to be exposed as the act of a desperate closeted homosexual man. The only crime in being GLBT is in the hiding. The President needs to come clean with the American people about his own past sexual behavior before he tries to besmirch the humanity of people in search of sincerely committing to the same bonds of matrimony he’s afforded. He violated his own vows of monogamy having a homosexual affair with a long time family friend of whom his wife had no knowledge. His hypocrisy seems to know no bounds.

Any truth to this? Who knows. In any event, it took place back in 1984 — over 20 years ago. And we all know that when Bush was young and irresponsible, he was young and irresponsible.

More:
http://www.wonkette.com/politics/condi/crazy-talk-we-cant-ignore-the-bushcondi-rumors-178417.php

[dmoded]

15. perhaps everyone is realizing..

The phrase fits perfectly, : if it isn't broken, don't fix it.

they came, they broke, now wtf??

[WhiteTara]

18. Japan said to withdraw troops from Iraq

the coalition is shrinking.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2006-06/17/content_619339.htm
Japan will announce a plan to pull out its ground troops from Iraq this month after the new Iraqi government takes over security operations in Muthanna province, where Japanese troops are stationed, the Asahi Shimbun said Saturday.

Over 500 members of the Ground Self-Defense Force are stationed in Samawah of the province, performing a humanitarian mission. Once the withdrawal starts, they would first move to Kuwait within a month before returning home, the paper said, quoting government sources.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is to announce the withdrawal before June 29, when he visits Washington, according to Asahi.

"I think that the situation is now being arranged to be able to pull out from Iraq earlier," Foreign Minister Taro Aso is quoted as saying on Friday.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, Koizumi could announce the plan as early as Wednesday, since the British government is expected to announce on Tuesday the transfer of the security and administrative authority in Muthanna to the Iraqi government.

I wonder if monkey boy castigates these leaders with jeers of cutting and running?

[spindrifter]

19. Then Koizumi can go to Graceland

with a huge load off his mind.

[tives12]

20. At least some of the world's leaders are getting the message.

nt

[spindrifter]

21. Just discovered this on aljazeera:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/CAA1B321-D9C5-4CC3-BF64-BA86D76EA019.htm

Japan denies pulling troops out of Iraq

Friday 16 June 2006, 17:08 Makka Time, 14:08 GMT

Japan has denied a report that it is considering pulling its troops out of southern Iraq while Italy says it will complete withdrawal of its troops within three to four months.

The Yomiuri newspaper reported on Friday that Britain had told Japan that foreign forces in the south would soon hand over responsibility for security to the new Iraqi government.

<snip>

The Yomiuri said that after receiving information from Britain, Tokyo was considering announcing a decision later this month to withdraw its non-combat troops from the southern Iraqi city of Samawa.

<snip>

So, officially, there is nothing about to happen. But unofficially, it looks like they are all but ready to do the hand-over and split.

[struggle4progress]

25. Aso sees early decision on Japan troop withdrawal from Iraq

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso indicated Sunday that the government will make a decision on the timing of withdrawing Japanese ground troops from Iraq as early as this week ...

http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20060618p2a00m0na036000c.html

[saigon68]

23. Kick back to page 1

[Vidar]

24. Can't be soon enough.

[calimary]

27. Coalition of the Wilting.

Why can't we get out, too?