| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Britain | |
| UK troops to withdraw from Iraq in New Year | |
| 2008-11-20 | |
Asked if the countdown had begun towards what Gordon Brown called "fundamental mission change" -- the code for withdrawal -- Major Gen Andy Salmon, the British divisional commander, said that the "clock is ticking nicely". If the Iraqi 14th Division, which control Basra, manage the elections well, "we will be in a position after that to say that we are pretty much there," he said. "If we adapt to Iraqi needs then we will avoid outstaying our welcome. Then we will arrive at a mutually agreed position as to when we have met our conditions. "If the election goes well then our job is heading towards being done. We would have completed our tasks -- that is a considerable part of the security issue down here resolved, sorted and completed." Plans have been drawn up for the British force to be ready to move at 30 days notice when the signal comes from London. The signal date is likely to be beneficial to the Government. The first battalions could leave Iraq by as early as March, military sources have disclosed. The United States hopes that a reduction in British troop numbers in Iraq will allow the Ministry of Defence to send more forces to Afghanistan, Geoff Morrell, a Pentagon spokesman, said. "Clearly we would welcome more British troops but we are not singling out the Brits more than anyone else. We are sending thousands and thousands more troops and we are always looking to see who can contribute more to the mission in Afghanistan," he said. The British withdrawal from Iraq will come almost exactly six years after the first troops crossed over the Kuwait border in the 2003 invasion. Since then 176 servicemen have lost their lives and up to £10 billion has been spent on the operation and new equipment. Soldiers fought in the toughest street battles since the Second World War as forces, which averaged 8,000 men post-invasion, struggled to hold the line against a Shia insurgency heavily armed by Iran. They provided a vital breathing space and were able to train the Iraqi army that helped defeat the insurgents in March following a power vacuum after the British withdrew from Basra to the airport five miles away. Out of an estimated 2,500 insurgents only 250 remain active. The rest have either been killed, fled to Iran or given up the struggle. The murder rate in Basra, a city of 2.4 million, has dropped to about 20 a month and there has not been an attack on British forces for 48 days -- the longest period since the invasion. British soldiers still operate in small groups in the city providing mentors for the Iraqi army. Major Gen Salmon said the British forces would "be able stand with our heads held high and say we have done a bloody good job in difficult circumstances". "We have gone through some tough times and lost good people. Our soldiers have made amazing sacrifices. They won't have been in vain." A huge logistic operation will begin to withdraw the equipment and men after an agreement has been negotiated with the Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki. Basra air station, which in the last year has seen millions of pounds spent on strengthening its defences, will be filled with a force of at least 2,000 Americans some of whom will train the Iraqi police from locations in Basra. Major Gen Salmon said the withdrawal of 4,000 troops would "take the pressure off" the military and "ensure that we can make the commitment in Afghanistan". | |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #1 They did their best, considering their orders. Some of the stories I've read are astounding. Remember that Scottish unit that charged with fixed bayonets after they ran out of bullets? Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-11-20 22:23 |