Bush 'told British troops will leave Iraq'

[TexasLawyer]

Source: AFP

Bush 'told British troops will leave Iraq'

May 20, 2007 01:54pm
Article from: Agence France-Presse

US President George W. Bush has been told to prepare for a British U-turn on Iraq once Gordon Brown becomes prime minister, The Sunday Telegraph newspaper said.

Mr Bush has been briefed by White House officials to expect an announcement on British troop withdrawals during Brown's first 100 days in office, the weekly said.

The president was advised on how to handle the aftermath of a British pullout and the end of steadfast support from London, said the broadsheet, citing senior officials.

Outgoing Prime Minister Tony Blair is due to step down on June 27 after a decade in power, with finance minister Brown set to take over. Under Mr Blair, Britain has been the United States' staunchest ally in the war in Iraq and its key partner in the decision to invade the country in March 2003.

<snip>


Read more: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21763057-1702,00.html

[TexasLawyer]

1. Brown to pull troops out of Iraq

Brown to pull troops out of Iraq
BRIAN BRADY WESTMINSTER EDITOR

GORDON Brown will remove all British forces from Iraq before the next election under a plan to rebuild support among disillusioned Labour voters.

Scotland on Sunday can reveal the Prime Minister elect is working on a withdrawal plan that could see troop numbers slashed from 7,000 to as few as 2,000 within 12 months.

If implemented, the strategy would culminate in total withdrawal no later than spring 2010, the date by which Brown must go to the country to seek his own mandate.

Policy under Tony Blair involved keeping a small force in Iraq for many years to come. But it emerged last night that President George Bush has been briefed by White House officials to expect an announcement from Downing Street within Brown's first 100 days in power.

<snip>

http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=782222007

[lovuian]

2. Bush's legacy LOSER

Blair too

[physioex]

4. Yes....

But our LOSER will "stay the course" till his term is up. I think we got the short end of the stick....

[TankLV]

3. Great News!

Too bad the poodle wasn't booted earlier...

What a WAR CRIMINAL...

So who's left now - Poland?

[Phredicles]

5. Ironic if true: Iraq in 2003 was supposed to be what Poland was in 1939;

I mean, remember all the tumescent neocon blather about Iran and Syria being next, on the way to the whole Middle East being remade in their image? Iraq was supposed to be just the first step, just as Poland was. With that in mind, I'm especially disappointed in the Polish government for lending itself to this criminal enterprise.

As for the neocons, while they aspired to be Hitlers they have so far only succeeded in being Mussolinis.

[emilyg]

12. I am, too

[arewenotdemo]

15. And they deserve the same fate as El Duce

THAT would be justice.

[dogfacedboy]

30. A "Mussolini Bon Voyage"! n/t

[arewenotdemo]

43. Precisely.

[formercia]

26. Reich-wing Crusaders in Poland

The 'Church' has a lot of say in the Polish Government and the reactionary elements connected to the 'Church' have been pushing the Crusade.

Lots of anti-Semites and anti-Muslims there.

[dogfacedboy]

29. Yep, and a couple of guys from the Japanese Gov't writing checks. n/t

[Theduckno2]

6. I wish the very best for those British troops that will be going home.

It looks that I may have actually been onto something the other day. See #9 and I also recommend reading the report.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2849062

BTW are there "Aspens" in Britain and could they be turning?

[Erika]

7. So American troops will continue to bear more of the brunt

of this insane war.

[Brundle_Fly]

8. I wish I could vote

200 times for this.

[flyarm]

9. bushes legacy is liar and murderer and war criminal! eom

[Roy]

10. Yeh... but he will be comfortably employed when he leaves office...

Pieces of silver for the lives of British youth?

[saigon68]

14. He will be employed by Bechtel

Or some other criminal enterprise

[IndianaGreen]

11. Unfortunately, the Labor government still intends to remain in Afghanistan

so the troops they pull from Iraq will end up in another quagmire instead.

[opihimoimoi]

13. Songs for Bush to sing while in the shower: ALL ALONE AM I....."

WHERE ARE WE WITHOUT THEE???"

WHO CARES??? WHO REALLY CARES?? I DON'T GIVE A DAMN......"

THERE THEY GO.....OFF TO THE THAMES THEY ROW"

[rodeodance]

16. and yet Tony goes to Iraq and tells them the Brits will stand by them!

[rodeodance]

17. "I have no doubt at all that Britain will remain steadfast in its support for Iraq,''

Mr Blair was in Washington this week for his last talks with Mr Bush, before jetting to Iraq for talks with political leaders in Baghdad and a visit to British troops in the main southern city of Basra.

"I have no doubt at all that Britain will remain steadfast in its support for Iraq,'' the prime minister said there.

[Heidi]

18. Kick.

:kick:

[radfringe]

19. Bush gets ready for Iraq U-turn by Brown

Source: Sunday Telegraph (UK) Last Updated: 9:37am BST 20/05/2007

Gordon Brown is prepared to risk the future of the "special relationship" with the United States by reversing Tony Blair's support for the Iraq war, President George W Bush has been warned.

He has been briefed by White House officials to expect an announcement on British troop withdrawals from Mr Brown during his first 100 days in power. It would be designed to boost the new prime minister's popularity in the opinion polls.

The President recently discussed with a senior White House adviser how to handle the fallout from the expected loss of Washington's main ally in Iraq, The Sunday Telegraph has learned.

----snip----


President Bush's aides fear that Mr Brown will boost Democrats' demands for a timetable for a US pullout from Iraq and encourage wavering Republicans to defect - leaving the President more isolated.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/20/wirq20.xml

[globalvillage]

20. Republicans are already calling Brown "weak"

because he doesn't support the quagmire.

From the same article:

Senator John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate in 2004 who sits on the Senate foreign affairs committee, said Mr Brown would support Democrats' calls for the Iraqi government to meet "benchmarks" for progress or for war funding to be cut off.

[blm]

31. Kerry and Gordon Brown are close friends so there's no doubt Kerry knows

Brown's intentions.

[ohio2007]

24. Iran says US should quit Iraq to curb 'terror'

Iran said on Saturday the United States should withdraw its troops from Iraq because their presence is causing "terrorist" activity in the war-torn country.
"We believe that sooner or later they have to decide to withdraw their troops from Iraq because that is the cause for the continuation of terrorist activities," Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told participants in the World Economic Forum in the Middle East in Jordan.

He said that instability and the continuing occupation remain the two fundamental problems plaguing Iran's neighbour, and added that a "comprehensive solution" should address both issues.


snip

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070519120045.c45088s4&show_article=1


AT any rate, when the news of the Brit withdraw reaches the Iraqi war zone, be ready for celebrations by the freedom fighters via a higher body count presented to the western MSM.

[T_i_B]

21. Bush gets ready for Iraq U-turn by Brown

Source: Sunday Telegraph

Gordon Brown is prepared to risk the future of the "special relationship" with the United States by reversing Tony Blair's support for the Iraq war, President George W Bush has been warned.

He has been briefed by White House officials to expect an announcement on British troop withdrawals from Mr Brown during his first 100 days in power. It would be designed to boost the new prime minister's popularity in the opinion polls.

The President recently discussed with a senior White House adviser how to handle the fallout from the expected loss of Washington's main ally in Iraq, The Sunday Telegraph has learned.

During a surprise "farewell trip" to Iraq yesterday, Mr Blair suggested that his successor would continue his policy. Speaking shortly after a mortar attack by insurgents on Baghdad's fortified "green zone", the Prime Minister said: "I have no doubt at all that Britain will remain steadfast in its support for Iraq, for the Iraqi people and for the Iraqi government as it tries to make sure it overcomes the threat of terrorism and continues to make progress.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/20/wirq20.xml

---

Front page of the Torygraph, although I wouldn't count on it myself just yet.

[NJCher]

22. this is the kind of change voters expect and should get

But not what we in America have. We get "we don't have the votes."




Cher

[Greeby]

23. We have voters here in Britain anymore?

I'll be damned :silly:

[durablend]

25. What I don't understand...

Isn't Brown setting a timetable for the British troops to withdraw, so the terrists will just wait them out and then strike (or follow them home)?

:sarcasm:

[ohio2007]

28. Actually,if using the college football analogy....

Your rank increases the more you pile on the points.
In this case,they will remain on the offensive as the end game results have already been decided.

lol
Someday these guys may win the Rose Bowl

[LynnTheDem]

27. One small correction:

"Under Mr Blair, Tony Blair has been the United States' staunchest ally".

The majority of citizens of Britain NEVER supported bush & bLiar's war of aggression.

[LeftishBrit]

38. You are right

Most of us opposed the war from day one.

[Barrett808]

32. Bush gets ready for Iraq U-turn by Brown

Source: Telegraph

Bush gets ready for Iraq U-turn by Brown
By Tim Shipman in Washington, Philip Sherwell and Patrick Hennessy, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 9:37am BST 20/05/2007

Gordon Brown is prepared to risk the future of the "special relationship" with the United States by reversing Tony Blair's support for the Iraq war, President George W Bush has been warned.

He has been briefed by White House officials to expect an announcement on British troop withdrawals from Mr Brown during his first 100 days in power. It would be designed to boost the new prime minister's popularity in the opinion polls.

The President recently discussed with a senior White House adviser how to handle the fallout from the expected loss of Washington's main ally in Iraq, The Sunday Telegraph has learned.

Details of the talks came as a close ally of Mr Brown called for a quicker withdrawal of British troops. Nigel Griffiths, a former minister, said: "We should get out of Iraq as soon as is practicable. We should consult the Iraqi government - but they cannot have a veto. This cannot be delayed."

Read more: http://tinyurl.com/ynpyxa

[ForPeace]

33. Could it be because that's what the people want?

"It would be designed to boost the new prime minister's popularity in the opinion polls."

[wryter2000]

34. No kidding

It also might be the right thing to do.

[Lord Balto]

35. Yay!

Yippee Yay Ki-yey! Sorry George, you old dipshit cowhand you!

[cliss]

36. This is probably financial reasons,

more than any other. England is a subservient Lackey to its former Colony, the United States. They've had to swallow their pride and do Bush's Bidding out of "solidarity", "friendship" "it's the right thing to do".

Fact is, Blair had no choice when the US called him on Sep. 12, 2001. He HAD to go along with the plan to invade Iraq.

They didn't send in a huge amount of UK troops, but enough to create the image of "world-wide" solidarity and support. Just a few thousand.

Originally, the expenses for the British was to be paid out of a trust fund which was quite large, even for England. That fund was exhausted in June of 2005, and they were supposed to pull out then.

But something happened, and the US probably ended up picking up the tab since the UK ran out of money. I never heard more about the funding issue. But it's probably a funding issue. And amazingly, it means that the US can't pick up the tab EITHER!!!

[Vidar]

37. A damned good start for Brown.

[fedsron2us]

39. Withdrawals do not necessarily mean a complete pull out.

These stories have been floated by the current Labour government on a number of occasions over the past year or so. For example, here is a similar story from the Financial Times dated July 4 2005.

MoD plans Iraq troop withdrawal

By Jimmy Burns and Peter Spiegel

Published: July 4 2005 22:02 | Last updated: July 4 2005 22:02


The Ministry of Defence has drafted plans for a significant withdrawal of British troops from Iraq over the next 18 months and a big deployment to Afghanistan, the Financial Times has learnt.

<snip>

By next April, a best case scenario would see current troops levels of 8,500 reduced to about 4,000-5,000, soldiers, with a further cut in the period leading to the first quarter of 2007, when the British military presence is expected to fall to about 1,000 advisers and training personnel.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/a1384df4-ecbc-11d9-9d20-00000e2511c8.html

Two years later there are still over 7000 British troops in Iraq. All the time there is even a token force in the country the UK will remain part of the conflict as it would always leave the option of sending out reinforcements whenever they are needed.

I would treat any announcement on this subject with great caution unless backed up immediate action. What this British government says and what it does are too completely different things. Our politicians in the UK are probably even bigger liars than those in Washington.

[jhain]

40. Don't forget Poland!! n/t

[TexasLawyer]

41. Whoa-- WH very unhappy over this

Bush fears Brown will order early Iraq pullout
21.05.07

White House officials warned Gordon Brown not to accelerate the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq. One said it would be taken as a "personal insult" to President George Bush.

The warnings came after Mr Brown said the conflict was at a "new stage".

Confronted by anti-war protests at the first Labour leadership hustings, the Chancellor staunchly defended the decision to topple Saddam Hussein. He said: "I take my responsibility as a member of the Cabinet for the collective decisions that we made and I believe they were the right decisions. But we're at a new stage now."

Mr Brown also admitted: "I don't think we should deny the fact that it's been a very difficult issue and it's also been one where public opinion has effectively been divided."

<snip>

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23397366-details/Bush+fears+Brown+will+order+early+Iraq+pullout/article.do

[Erika]

42. Who cares about insulting George W Bush?

He should be impeached and even tried for war crimes.

[LeftishBrit]

44. Hold on...

You mean that an independent country cannot pursue its own policies favoured by its people because the president will regard it as a 'personal insult'.

Bad enough for him to treat political disagreement in his OWN country as a personal insult - but other countries???

[Swamp Rat]

45. Didn't you get the memo?

You Brits serve at the pleasure of Emperor Bushler.

[Supersedeas]

46. coalition of the 'billing' as thin as a dollar