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| Iraq |
| Bush to pullout 30,000 troops from Iraq next July |
| 2008-06-16 |
| Baghdad, Jun 16, (VOI) - U.S. President George Bush on Monday announced the withdrawal of 30,000 troops next July, highlighting that any further withdrawal of the troops will depend on the security conditions in the country. This came during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London. The U.S. president linked any further withdrawal of U.S. forces with the improvement of Iraqi forces’ capabilities and their abilities to bear more responsibilities, as well as the economic improvement and more progress regarding political reconciliation. “This strategy aims at handing Iraqis more responsibilities,” Bush said. For his part, Brown denied any impact of the political argument on his government’s stance. “There is a work to do in Iraq and we will continue our work,” Brown added, stressing that he would not outline any time table for British forces withdrawal. He highlighted that his forces realized more progress in Iraq as well as the Iraqi forces. Reports have been circulated over possible British withdrawal from Iraq by the end of 2008. Brown also said during a press conference last week that he will deliver a speech on British forces' deployment in Iraq before the parliament's recess. The British forces in the oil-rich port city of Basra, 590 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, keep 4,100 troops within the MNF in Iraq after withdrawing more than half of its forces. Britain was the United States' prime ally in the March 2003 invasion of Iraq. Ceremonies to hand over security responsibilities in Basra province from the British forces to the Iraqi authorities took place at the Basra International Airport in December 2007. |
| Posted by:GolfBravoUSMC |
| #5 JosephM, many Americans know how lucky we are that 9/11 wasn't much, much worse. I remember the concerns that day about the possibility of 50,000 deaths in the Twin Towers, not 3,000, and follow-up war gas or biological attacks. But if the troops can get even a few months rest and recreation before heading back into things, that would be good. Anonymoose - off topic-- I sent trailing daughter #2 and temporary daughter off on a cross-country bike trip with the salt/sugar/baking soda formula you recommended. They left Cincinnati on Friday with their youth group. We're to meet them with a bike rack on the back of the minivan in Niagara Falls at the end of the month. I'll let you know how that worked out. :-) |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-06-16 23:29 |
| #4 I hope he shifts a goodly number over to Afghanistan. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-06-16 22:56 |
| #3 next July would be 2008 |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-06-16 21:19 |
| #2 Is he aware that his term ends on Jan. 20, 2009? I'm not sure he knows that the way he's talking. |
| Posted by: Grusolet Sproing6197 2008-06-16 21:07 |
| #1 HMMMM, CNN + MSNBC > PRESUMPTIVE DEM NOMINEE BARACK OBAMA, as POTUS, is reportedly still intend to withdraw all US milfors from Iraq within within 16 months, including an anticipated initial withdrawal of 50,000 - 70,000 US troops in first phase??? IOW, DUBYA + POTUS OBAMA? = RADICAL ISLAM CAN [subjectively]LOOK FORWARD TO A POTENTIAL REDUX OF UP TO 100,000 [rounded off] US troops, WID MORE REDUX TO OCCUR AFTERWARDS. * IRNA > IT IS UNLIKELY THE USA WILL START ANY NEW CRISIS; + WE ARE IN A "WIN-WIN" SITUATION [Artic ostensibly refers to 5 +1 Econ confere BUT ATTITUDE COULD APPLY TO IRAN versus USA]. See also TOPIX > SADR MILITIA DESIRES ELECTION SHIFT IN IRAQ. HMMMM, 2008 thru 2010 [minima] > in all likelihood, 'TIS MORE ASYMMETRICAL "POLITICAL JIHAD" THAN MILITARY/VIOLENT JIHAD. It still comes down to IRAN + MILITANTS-TERR GROUPS "GOING NUCLEAR" [Nuclear-StratWeaps Sufficiency] AMAP ASAP 2008-2012. Again, as long as the USA = US-Allies mostly stays put [defensive] in Iraq + Afghanistan, etc., or downsizes as per POTUS Obama?, IRAN + MILITANTS-TERR CAN STILL GET THEIR NUKES + OTHER VITAL MIL CAPABILITIES TO SAVE THEIR JIHAD. The Islamists only need "Sufficiency" right now, i.e. a RELIABLE DELIVERABLE NUKE-WMD ARSENAL POTENT/STRONG ENUFF TO CAUSE US-ALLIED POLITICOS TO THINK TIMES BEFORE ENGAGING IN ANY SORT OF UNILATERAL OR JOINT, OFFENSIVE OR RETALIATORY, ANTI-ISLAMIST MILACTION(S). Both the USA + RADICAL ISLAM WILL HAVE TO CONTN REVIEW THEIR RESPECTIVE ORIGINAL INTENTIONS AND PREMISES FOR 9-11 + WAGING A GLOBAL WOT = GLOBAL ISLAMIST JIHAD. IMO, neither camp started this "ANTI-STATUS QUO/CURRENT ORDER" WOT or JIHAD ONLY TO END UP WID NO SIDE-CAMP ACHIEVING TOTAL VICTORY = TOTAL DEFEAT. Nobody Won, + Nobody Lost > WORLD NEITHER "PROGRESSES" = MOVES FORWARD, NOR BACKWARDS....WORLD IS SHAKEN, BUT NOT STIRRED [James Bond 007], ANY AND ALL WORLD PRE-9-11/WOT PROBS< ISSUES, + AGENDUMS, ETC. GO UNRESOLVED??? So, why attack the WTC-NYC on 9-11-2001 as per Radical Islam, or invade Iraq-Afghanistan, etc. as per Dubya TO BEGIN WITH IFF ANY AND ALL SIDES-CAMPS ARE GOING TO END UP LOSING = PC "NOT WINNING"??? AND NOW YOU KNOW, VIRGINA, WHY I WOULD CRITICIZE MY FORMER/OLD ANTI-SOVIET AGHAN WAR COHORT OSAMA, etc. > IFF YOU ARE GOING TO THE TROUBLE OF SENDING CIVILIAN AIRLINERS + OWN MEN CRASHING INTO US SKYSCRAPERS, WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST TURN THE PLANES INTO FLYING NUKE-WMD BOMBS AND NUKE NYC + WASHINGTON, DC TO BEGIN WITH??? Using airliners like that as on 9-11 is SPANKING = WARNING AN ENEMY, NOT WAGING WAR NOR KILLING AN ENEMY! Amers should be grateful it wasn't worse. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-06-16 20:24 |