Military commanders tell Brown to withdraw from Iraq without delay

[TexasLawyer]

Source: Independent UK

19 August 2007 01:02

Military commanders tell Brown to withdraw from Iraq without delay
By Raymond Whitaker and Robert Fox
Published: 19 August 2007

Senior military commanders have told the Government that Britain can achieve "nothing more" in south-east Iraq, and that the 5,500 British troops still deployed there should move towards withdrawal without further delay.

Last month Gordon Brown said after meeting George Bush at Camp David that the decision to hand over security in Basra province – the last of the four held by the British – "will be made on the military advice of our commanders on the ground". He added: "Whatever happens, we will make a full statement to Parliament when it returns ."

Two generals told The Independent on Sunday last week that the military advice given to the Prime Minister was, "We've done what we can in the south ". Commanders want to hand over Basra Palace – where 500 British troops are subjected to up to 60 rocket and mortar strikes a day, and resupply convoys have been described as "nightly suicide missions" – by the end of August. The withdrawal of 500 soldiers has already been announced by the Government. The Army is drawing up plans to "reposture" the 5,000 that will be left at Basra airport, and aims to bring the bulk of them home in the next few months.

Before the invasion in 2003, officers were told that the Army's war aims were to bring stability and democracy to Iraq and to the Middle East as a whole. Those ambitions have been drastically revised, the IoS understands. The priorities now are an orderly withdrawal, with the reputation and capability of the Army "reasonably intact", and for Britain to remain a "credible ally". The final phrase appears to refer to tensions with the US, which has more troops in Iraq than at any other time, including the invasion, as it seeks to impose order in Baghdad and neighbouring provinces.

Read more: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2876541.ece

[frogcycle]

1. Now if bush had not purged our military of people who would do likewise...

I wonder if the whole changing of the guard in GB wasn't scripted like this. Blair gets to disengage, gets a nice appointment; Brown agrees to oversee the withdrawal in exchange for getting the PM job. Might have been a way for Tony the Poodle to escape whatever bush was holding over his head...

[Kolesar]

3. The people who do the dirty jobs make civilized life possible.

http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/dirtyjobs/dirtyjobs.html

[Imagevision]

2. The withdrawal of 500 soldiers has already been announced by the Government

[YDogg]

4. well, i hope HE will listen to his military commanders

[JNelson6563]

5. At least there's still Poland, don't forget.

So the simian's new friend may not prove to be as helpful as he'd hoped eh?

Good for Britain.

Julie

[tabasco]

8. Poland has reduced their force from 2400 to 900 and they will be hauling ass

in Jan. 2008.

[JNelson6563]

9. Bush must be crushed.

;-)

[moggie]

6. In other words

Our (Britain's) war aim is now officially to save face as much as possible. Thanks, Tony.

[harun]

13. It is the U.S.'s aim as well. Problem is Bush's solution to

accomplish that is dump the whole mess on the next Dem president and blame it on them.

[CoffeeCat]

7. It appears that the...

..."Coalition of the Willing" could host their next
meeting in a phone booth.

[arewenotdemo]

10. Not to worry. Future casualties will continue to be listed as MNF.

Multi-National Force.

[jeff30997]

11. Let those cowards go.Who needs them when

You have Tonga on your side? :rofl:

[tanyev]

12. Will that make them tea-drinking surrender monkeys?