Blair to announce troops withdrawal

[Maverick]

Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to announce on Tuesday the withdrawal of some of Britain's 7,000 troops from Iraq.
Mr Blair is expected to announce that 1,500 servicemen and women will leave within weeks, with 3,000 home by Christmas, according to reports in The Sun.
Mr Blair last week announced the success of Operation Sinbad in securing the key southern city of Basra, which he said would pave the way for the handover of security responsibility to homegrown Iraqi forces.
A spokesman for 10 Downing Street would neither deny nor confirm the reports, saying only: "It is right that the Prime Minister should update Parliament first."
Mr Blair is due to appear before MPs for his regular weekly half-hour grilling at Prime Minister's Questions, though this would be an unlikely forum for him to make such an announcement.
Downing Street declined to comment on whether Mr Blair would be making an oral statement to the Commons.
It is understood that, following the initial withdrawal of 1,500 troops in April, further drawdowns of UK personnel over the following months would be dependent on the conditions on the ground.
Suggestions that Mr Blair will announce the complete withdrawal of British forces by 2008 were thought to be wide of the mark.
If confirmed, the announcement of British troop withdrawals would come just weeks ahead of the fourth anniversary of the start of the 2003 Iraq War on March 19.
And it comes shortly after US President George Bush launched a "surge" of 21,500 additional American troops in a bid to pacify the north of Iraq and capital Baghdad, which has been plagued by sectarian fighting and terrorism.

[Underground_Network]

I think that as soon as Blair pulls his troops out, that whole area collapses. The Iraqi forces are not very well trained, and are ill-equipped. I think that that operation will have meant shit if they pull out now. If they want to pull out troops in areas that are not as big, or possibly in places where we're not doing much other than dying, thats fine with me. But I don't think they should pull out their troops this quickly, or in that area. Also to note, Bush claimed that this was a signal of success, which this partially is, but has not claimed any interest in removing troops from Iraq.

[Ethannnnnn]

i wish they would hurry up and withdraw the troops and same with australia
our defence force is spread so thin we have hardly any troops in australia there all in afganistan and iraq

[Whisper]

ya I want Canada the fuck out of Afganistoan
we've been on the front lines in Kandahar the deadliest area in afganistan for yrs
some 2,500 troops
not to mention equipment
we havent send out so many troops, equipment (including tanks) or increased our millitary budget like this since the last world war

a good friend of mine is in the millitary and he's to be deployed this yr sometime
i dont want him to come bck in a body bag for some pathedic country that nobody cares about

espically when so many countries are challenging our boarders in the north
we need our guys here
patroling our boarders

[Sapphire]

It would be fantastic if Blair pulled all our troops out now. But, sadly, this is not true. My dearest friend is to be shipped out to Iraq on the 2nd of June for 6 months, I so wish he didn't have to go. He is barely coping as it is, Iraq will just break him. I daren't think of what could happen to him.

We have lost too many brave people in that shithole excuse of a country. If they want to blow each other up, let them get on with it. No one intervened when England were having a civil war. No one is intervening with civil wars in Africa. So why is the possibility of one in Iraq any different?

[Underground_Network]

Hmmmm, lemme think, the Iraqi would have no good guys, just innocent people being blown to bits, if not for American, British, etc. intervention and would not exist, and it is completely unlike any other civil war, this is (although similar to the african civil wars) a cultural fight, and the reason intervention is necessary, is because these are extremists, who if were not caught up in fighting in their own country would be bombing England, and America right now. Iraq would have no army, and Iraq's current army remains ill-equipped and untrained. If not for our intervention, not only would that country be in shambles, but so would our society, these are suicidal maniacs, who will do anything for their country. If the extremists were to win this war, World War III would most likely erupt, because they'd most definitely launch several attacks against both the U.S. and Europe. We're helping them to help ourselves. Iraq is a threat to us (the U.S., Europe, etc.) and Africa is not, that is what makes this different.

[Sapphire]

And since when has a country had enough fire power to gun down the US? There is no evidence of WoMD in Iraq so tell me, how could they take on Europe and the US?

[Underground_Network]

I didn't say they could take us on, but people who are willing to sacrifice their lives for the detrament of a country, could do a decent amount of damage. We could sure as hell see a repeat 9/11, in any country, if the extremists gained control. Its better we get involved now, then after the extremists take control, and if what you're saying is true about firepower... How come we haven't won the war yet?? Why haven't we dominated?? Why aren't the Iraqis choking on our dust? Can you answer that?

[Whisper]

this war wont do a dam thing they have no interest in stopping
you said it yourself there fanatics
we could be there for 30yrs and when we pull out they'd go right back at it

this is already the second time we've gone in
it wont be the last
but we've done what we had to
they dont pose a risk anymore
there broken and in shambles
it will take a good decade same as last time for them to recover

We have more pressing matters
Americas social programs are in shards
your education systems gone down the crapper
healthcare
growing poor class
etc...

Canada has boarder issues
health care problems
worker shortage
out of date coast guard
in severe need of public daycare
and I hate to say it but theres been allot of pedofile shit lattley

i'm sure England has problems

then theres the big bada boom
GLobal Warming
Food Shortage
AIDS epademic
TB
Ethiopia
Sudan


there not choking on allied dust for one simple reason
were holding back
we have been since the start
why? because this war has never been popular bck home

[Sapphire]

this war wont do a dam thing they have no interest in stopping
you said it yourself there fanatics
we could be there for 30yrs and when we pull out they'd go right back at it

QFT


they dont pose a risk anymore
there broken and in shambles
it will take a good decade same as last time for them to recover

We have more pressing matters
Americas social programs are in shards
your education systems gone down the crapper
healthcare
growing poor class
etc...

Canada has boarder issues
health care problems
worker shortage
out of date coast guard
in severe need of public daycare
and I hate to say it but theres been allot of pedofile shit lattley

i'm sure England has problems

then theres the big bada boom
GLobal Warming
Food Shortage
AIDS epademic
TB
Ethiopia
Sudan

I completely agree.

The rises in HIV/AIDs, global warming and right wing extremists is far more pressing for us all right now. The right wind extremists are present and growing in numbers throughout Europe and I am sure the same is happening in the US. They pose as a more imminent threat than the shattered nation Iraq has become.

[Underground_Network]

Blame Bush! If Your So Pissed And Think This War Should End... Blaim Bush, Canada And England Only Joined Because They Are Allied With America And Wanted To Help Out, A) They Didn't Have To And B) This Is All On Bush, And America. I'm From America, And I Have No Problem Blaming Bush, I'm Just Saying That Since Bush Is Bush, We, Referring To America, Are Going To Stay There A Long Time... Which May Influence Countries Like England And Canada To Stay There As Well, Just In Less Numbers. This War Will Not Terminate Until At Least The End Of Bush's Presidency.. It Does Not Matter Whether We Were To Nuke Iraq, Bush And The Current Military Leaders Are Not Pulling Out, No Matter What.

[Maverick]

Blame Congress for authorizing the war.

[Underground_Network]

Yeah I left them out.... I typed that really quick, without much thought, almost forgot congress existed lol... But its not all of congress whos to blame, most of them, yes, but there are some good congressmen out there.

[Mirataku]

It is the role of NATO and the UN Security Council to ensure peace and security for the world. To create a world without fear, to protect the world. If other countries, such as France and Germany had the stones to fulfil their commitment to protect the world, maybe the Iraqi Insurgency would not be happening now