Iraqi PM eyes further withdrawals

[Judi Lynn]

Last Updated: Monday, 24 July 2006, 10:35 GMT 11:35 UK
Iraqi PM eyes further withdrawals

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has suggested Iraqi troops will soon take control over more areas of the country, ahead of his visit to the UK and US.
Mr Maliki told the BBC that predictions that foreign troops would be in Iraq for decades were wide of the mark.
(snip)

"The Iraqi security forces are actually leading battles, and at the end of the year you will witness major progress in Iraqis being independent and not needing foreign troops," he said.

But Mr Maliki declined to say for definite when foreign troops would be able to complete their withdrawal from Iraq.

"I think in this visit we will discuss issues that will enable foreign troops to leave," he said.
(snip/...)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5209686.stm

[shadowknows69]

1. There have been withdrawals?

Other than the "coalition of the leaving" countries that bailed? The base I work near is sending 5000 more troops there in a week.

[endarkenment]

4. We are going to triple the US withdrawals.

Which would bring us right up to zero. Then we will quadruple them.

[grytpype]

2. He has to say that.

He is being told to say that, for Bush's domestic purposes.

[lapfog_1]

3. YUP

I think we've been officially told that the "experiment" of a democratic Iraq is a failure. We need to jump on whatever transports we have and leave the country because it's about to be officially divided into three pieces. unfortunately for the Iraqis, that won't end the violence as any partition is going to make those with not enough oil really pissed off (probably the Sunnis). And the Kurds won't like it much either when Turkey starts pressuring them with border incursions and so on.

I'd say "Mission Accomplished!!!" :sarcasm: