The Brits have pulled out of Iraq

[mudesi]

http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/03/2021999.htm?section=justin

Media spin: "Sign of progress"

[Solly Mack]

1. and are they being followed?

[MadMaddie]

3. Solly Mack that's rich!!

So what are we down to? "Coalition of One"!

[rurallib]

8. "What about Poland??"

They must be long gone also.

[MadMaddie]

10. Looks like Poland was planning to pull their troops last month...

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iraq_orbat_coalition.htm

Countries which had troops in or supported operations in Iraq at one point but have pulled out since: Nicaragua (Feb. 2004); Spain (late-Apr. 2004); Dominican Republic (early-May 2004); Honduras (late-May 2004); Philippines (~Jul. 19, 2004); Thailand (late-Aug. 2004); New Zealand (late Sep. 2004); Tonga (mid-Dec. 2004) Portugal (mid-Feb. 2005); The Netherlands (Mar. 2005); Hungary (Mar. 2005); Singapore (Mar. 2005); Norway (Oct. 2005); Ukraine (Dec. 2005); Japan (July 17, 2006); Italy (Nov. 2006); Slovakia (Jan 2007).

Countries planning to withdraw from Iraq: Poland had earlier claimed that it would withdraw all soldiers by the end of 2006. It however extended the mandate of its contingent through at least mid-2007. Denmark announced that it would withdraw its troop contingent by August 2007.

[Solly Mack]

12. Now there's a slogan!

teehee

[Teaser]

2. just basra

iraq by December.

[partylessinOhio]

4. A bit too late. Perhaps if the Brits had not gone in there wouldn't have

been an invasion of Iraq. The Poodle enabled *.

:nopity:

[The Count]

16. I doubt W wouldn't have gone without the UK. There was a mosaic in a bathroom

to be torn off, and all that oil going to the Iraqis. Or so Condi tutored him.

[Wilms]

5. No. And, no.

According to the link they're pulling out of Basra, not Iraq. And it is the British "Defence Minister Brendan Nelson" spinning it to suggest progress.

"Defence Minister Brendan Nelson says the withdrawal of British troops from their Basra headquarters in southern Iraq is proof progress is being made in the war-torn country.

snip

The British troops will now be based at an airbase outside the volatile city."

snip

[rurallib]

9. With an airplane engine running, ready to take off?

[rodeodance]

6. Brits' Basra pull-out a sign of progress: Nelson

Brits' Basra pull-out a sign of progress: Nelson

Posted 3 hours 9 minutes ago
Updated 2 hours 35 minutes ago


Defence Minister Brendan Nelson says the withdrawal of British troops from their Basra headquarters in southern Iraq is proof progress is being made in the war-torn country.

This morning British troops began withdrawing from their Basra Palace base and transferring reponsibility for the city to Iraqi forces.

The British troops will now be based at an airbase outside the volatile city.

Some 500 troops had been based at the palace, which was bombarded daily by mortar and rocket fire. Fourty-one British soldiers have been killed in southern Iraq so far this year.

[seemslikeadream]

7. I think that friendly fire thing might have rubbed them the wrong way

[MadMaddie]

11. I think you are right....

I think the remaining countries are looking for a way out...

[TheUniverse]

13. Didn't more civilians die last month than in about year?

How is that progress?

[MadMaddie]

14. Yes....what's interesting is that we are actually starting to hear

some hard figures....

The * Administration was successful for 3-4 years of hiding those numbers....

It's not progress it's criminal.

The other countries are bailing because they see what is coming. Someone is going to be held accountable and they don't want any part of it.

Welcome to DU!:hi:

[EFerrari]

15. Perkins says blackmail was the only reason they were in

in the first place.