Blair to Announce UK Iraq Withdrawal Timetable

[wokkameister]

Godspeed to all those that remain.
About time though, I was just thinking to myself the other day 'Gee the situation in Iraq has worked out well, must be time to bring the lads home'....then I woke up - It's an age thing

[Melchett01]

Great, 1600 troops out. Wonder how long exactly the remaining 5,500 will stay there being used as target practice at Basrah. Bet Tony isn't quite so quick to announce that. I give it another 5 years before the last man in Iraq can turn the light out.

Lancelot, your:

He’s the original Plonker!

brought a smile to my face. For some reason I automatically thought of Del Boy .... who would you trust most? Maybe Tony's family motto is "He Who Dares Rodney, He Who Dares" ("is quisnam praesumo rodney , is quisnam praesumo" for those of you who had a proper edumication and remember mottos in Latin!)

[London Mil]

.... and relax.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/6388717.stm

Funny old world.................

[olddog]

Home from Iraq - Off to Afghanistan!!

Before the days of New Labour Spin (Deception) this would have been simply announced as a redeployment. Who do they think they are fooling? Unfortunately the answer is about 60% of the population who never link 2 pieces of news to see the real picture.

[bradfordboy]

According to Sky News this morning the government are to announce on Monday that they are sending an additional 1000 troops to Afghanistan.

BB

[startermotor]

Like i said yesterday, in this thread. It was so obvious

[Exrigger]

How many are going out to Iraq with the Prince's regiment? It sounds as if the ones coming back from Iraq are just being replaced by these guys and as has been alluded to here, the ones from Iraq will then just go to Afghanistan/Somalia or wherever Bush wants them.

[airborne_artist]

Thomas Withington, from the Centre for Defence Studies, explained that the south-west of Afghanistan was proving to be a "stubborn nut to crack".

And yet "Defence Secretary, [John] Reid said we could achieve success in Afghanistan's Helmand province "without a shot being fired".

[Tigs2]

I am in total disbelief as to the utter contempt with which Bliar continues to treat his armed forces personnel and the general public. I listened to him at PM question time the other day go on for over 1hr about how great it was to bring the troops back, and at no time did he elude to the fact that the government were considering sending more troops to Afghanistan. He was wallowing in his moment of glory and continued to be economical with the truth. I have a feeling this low life is going to retire on his own terms, in a haze of glory, and he will never be held to account for the attrocities he has committed to the British General public and our military personnel.

[London Mil]

Why send a mere thousand when you have just brought home 1600?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6396001.stm

[South Bound]

And good to see that the excuse of countering the expected 'Spring Offensive' will see them arrive in the Summer.

[NURSE]

well 1400+ are going to afghanistan

[An Teallach]

The cycnic in me enjoyed Beau Bo D'Or's take on this: