British withdrawal from Iraq to start within months (not to "colonize")

[Barrett808]

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Visiting Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said it was hoped Britain's 8,000 troops would start to withdraw from Iraq in a matter of months.

"In practice, what we hope to see is a gradual phased draw-down of British troops starting, not with Basra, but with one or two of the other provinces in our area," Straw told AFP.

The phased withdrawal will start "as and when the Iraqis are satisfied that their own forces can cope completely with the responsibility," he added following talks with Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari and President Jalal Talabani.

"It's going to be a matter of months," he added Saturday.

British forces control four of Iraq's southern provinces -- Basra, Nasiriyah, Samawah and Amara.

"We're here to liberate Iraq. We did not come to colonize it," Straw also said, noting that "we are here as long as the Iraqi government wants us here."

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060107/wl_mideast_afp/iraqbritaintroops

[theoldman]

1. A new first for the British.

Generally they stay for years until the country is in chaos. Then they are kicked out.

[Jawja]

3. Perhaps they

have learned the lesson that their history should be teaching us?

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. Not really

it's just that with global instant communication things go a lot faster now.

[DemonFighterLives]

5. I don't know if you meant that to be funny

but it cracked me up! :rofl:
Welcome to DU!

Edit: I want to say Kudos to UK for the possible start to peace.

[megatherium]

2. Did our last check to the Brits bounce? nt