Troops may leave Iraq - Britain and Australia

[NNN0LHI]

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=tus&ie=UTF-8&ncl=http://www.theage.com.au/news/iraq/australia-flags-iraq-pullout-reports/2005/09/13/1126377314990.html


Troops may leave Iraq

Sydney Morning Herald (subscription), Australia - 5 hours ago
By Deborah Cameron and Cynthia Banham. Australia and Britain have told Japan they are considering withdrawing their troops from Iraq ...

http://reg.smh.com.au/login.do?status=FAIL&errMsg=&errCode=10001&site=SMH&server=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au&data=%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Ftroops-may-leave-iraq%2F2005%2F09%2F13%2F1126377316406.html%3Foneclick%3Dtrue&count=0

[malaise]

1. Yep Uncle Sam is draining

their cricket resources.

[Rainscents]

2. Yep, looks like they are jumping ship!

[Megahurtz]

3. Someone's getting smart. n/t

[Binka]

4. Blair And Howard Are A Day Late And Too Many Lives Short

Fuck them both up the ass with a red hot poker! Fuckers. They are looking out for themselves. Let us hope the good folk in UK and OZ realize they have been snookered.

[gratuitous]

5. That coalition keeps shrinking, don't it?

And you would think that for all the progress Iraq is making toward democracy and the rousing success that the invasion of Iraq has been, that all those johnny-come-latelies (looking at YOU, France and Germany) would just be clamoring to get in on the action, and share the glory of being on the winning side!

I think what's going on here is that the rest of the world has decided to be magnanimous, and let George W. Bush claim the honor and the glory for what Iraq has become all for himself. That way, there won't be any dispute or confusion that George W. Bush and his administration are solely responsible for what Iraq has become.

[NNN0LHI]

6. Yea but Chimpy still says he is going to stay the course...

...to last very last drop of somebody else's blood. He is so brave.

Don

[gratuitous]

7. "Some of you may die, but that's a risk I'm willing to take"

He IS a brave one, ain't he?

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Here's a link that doesn't go to "failed login"

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/reports-australia-will-recall-troops-irks-japan/2005/09/13/1126377316406.html

and one of the Japanese papers:

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200509130371.html

[daleo]

9. Blair finally figured out Bush won't share the oil

Not that I think they are getting much out anyway. Blair may also have put two and two together before Bush did - the U.S. can't afford Iraq after Katrina, so the game is up.

[Maggie_May]

10. Its the coalition of the unwilling

Have you not got it Bush. They seemed to getting the point (Australia and Britain.)

[TrogL]

11. What about Poland?

[Fluffdaddy]

12. Australian Government sources denied the reports. They will remain

At the end of the story it say"

"Australian Government sources in Tokyo denied the reports and said it was the Government's position that Australia remain committed to the effort in Iraq but that it would continue to monitor conditions."

[anakie]

13. debunked by Australian foreign minister

"Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said that there were no plans at present to withdraw Australian troops from Iraq.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his British counterpart Jack Straw as part of the European Union presidency, Downer emphasised the importance of the contribution the Japanese, British and Australian troops were making to Iraq's democracy.

..............

Despite Japanese media reports that Australia and Britain are considering removing their troops from Muthana Province where the Japanese troops are also based, both ministers, as well as the British Ministry of Defence, said that was not the case.

"As everybody knows, our long-term plan is to hand security over to the Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi military but until they are able to handle security in Iraq then the forces will have to remain," Downer explained"

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=21053

Howard and his government are such bush arse lickers that while bush keeps his committment to stay until 'the job is over' that there is no way Howard will withdraw troops until bush does.

[NNN0LHI]

14. That report was denied. It was not debunked

Downer doesn't deny that the meeting with the Japanese actually happened or what was or wasn't said there. Downer is merely saying there were no plans at present to withdraw Australian troops from Iraq. The weasel word used by Downer is "present". Meaning not right at this exact moment.

Don

>>>Several government sources said Tuesday that the idea was raised at a meeting of officers from Britain, Australia and Japan. Japanese officials asked their British and Australian counterparts, who are in charge of maintaining security in the area around Samawah where Japanese troops are stationed, to remain in southern Iraq.

But with the security situation in Iraq far from stable, many nations are considering withdrawing their troops. Sources said the British and Australian officials did not give a specific date for their possible withdrawal. snip

One official said it would become increasingly difficult for the Japanese ground troops to operate in Samawah if the British and Australian forces withdrew.

Another official said the dispatch was important for the Japan-U.S. security alliance, but there is increasingly less for the SDF to do in Iraq.

Iraqi officials visiting Washington on Monday expressed hopes that the Japanese would remain in Iraq in light of the stunning victory scored by Koizumi's Liberal Democratic Party in Sunday's Upper House election.<<<

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200509130371.html

[Barrett808]

15. The withdrawal is already occurring -- I just wonder if Bush knows

It's entirely possible that the Pentagon is doing it anyway, under the guise of "sovereignty transfer." It means we're handing control over to Islamist militias and former Saddamites, but apparently that's considered a viable exit strategy now.