Gordon Brown Plans to Withdraw (All UK) Troops as He Backs Obama Over 'war on terror'

Gordon Brown prepared the ground for a historic realignment in the "war on terror" yesterday by setting out a four-point plan for withdrawal of British troops from Iraq by the end of next year.

Although he is refusing to set a detailed timetable for withdrawal, it is clear Mr Brown is in agreement with the US presidential candidate Barack Obama on the need for military action in Afghanistan to take priority. Both appear to be working to a 16-month timetable.

While Mr Brown addressed troops in Basra and met Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister, the Democratic hopeful arrived in Afghanistan to declare the US mission there to be more important than that in Iraq. Mr Obama is expected imminently in Iraq, and he will continue on to Europe. He will meet Mr Brown in Downing Street on Saturday.

Their approach is a marked departure from the policies of Tony Blair and President George Bush. But it nonetheless carries echoes of the "shoulder-to-shoulder" relationship between Britain and the US – if Mr Obama defeats his Republican rival John McCain in the November election.

Mr Brown, who will detail his plans to the Commons on Tuesday, laid out four conditions for withdrawal: the successful training of the Iraqi army; provincial elections to take place; the economic reconstruction of the country; and finally handing over sole responsibility of Basra airport to the Iraqis. Mr Brown said: "I am not setting an artificial timetable but what I can say is there is very significant progress in all these areas. Then we will reach a conclusion about what troop numbers will be. It is certainly our intention that we reduce troop numbers."

Some 20,000 Iraqi army soldiers have been trained so far, while Downing Street said it hoped provincial elections would be held at the end of this year.

According to the Iraqi Prime Minister's office, Mr Brown signalled that British troops could carry out a complete withdrawal by July 2009, but no exact timetable had been spelled out, British officials said.

link: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/brown-plans-to-withdraw-troops-as-he-backs-obama-over-war-on-terror-872388.html

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