PM Plans To Downsize Iraq Troops

Source: SkyNews

SkyNews - 6 minutes agoGordon Brown says the 4,100 British troops currently stationed in Iraq will remain there for "the next few months".

Making a statement to the House of Commons, the Prime Minister did say, however, that the numbers as progress was made "we will continue to reduce the number of British troops in Iraq".

Mr Brown said he expected "a further fundamental change of mission" for British troops in Iraq in the first months of 2009 as they complete their training of Iraqi forces.

He added that he hoped Iraqis would hold local elections in Basra and take over control of the city's airport by the end of the year.

Britain and the US are engaged in ensuring the security of the country and helping it to become a viable democracy, the Prime Minister said.



Read more: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/skynews/20080722/tuk-pm-plans-to-downsize-iraq-troops-45dbed5.html

Source: Guardian

Brown signals Iraq troops withdrawal

Gordon Brown today paved the way for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq, promising a "fundamental change" of mission in the first half of 2009.

In a Commons statement, the prime minister heaped praise on the work of British soldiers and insisted the security situation in Basra had been "transformed".

"We will continue to reduce the number of British troops in Iraq," Brown said.

"Just as last year we moved from combat to 'overwatch', we would expect a further fundamental change of mission in the first months of 2009 as we make the transition to a long term bilateral partnership with Iraq, similar to the normal relationships which our military forces have with other important countries in the region."

Brown said that violent incidents across Iraq were at their lowest since 2004.

Britain currently has around 4,000 troops based on the outskirts of the southern city of Basra.

Brown previously postponed plans to withdraw 1,500 soldiers due to a spike in militia violence.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jul/22/iraq.gordonbrown?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

... that it doesn't make a big difference what other countries do. Stay in, pull out, the numbers are comparatively small. Ok, Britain has a few thousand, Poland a few hundred, Latvia half a dozen. Not a significant force compared with the U.S. occupation.

We just need to get out own troops out of there.