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Blair 'to announce Iraq pull-out'
The UK prime minister is to announce a new timetable for withdrawing British troops from Iraq, including the pull-out of 1,500 within a matter of weeks, British media has reported.
Tony Blair will make the announcement on Wednesday during his weekly appearance in the British parliament, the BBC reported.
By the end of 2007 some 3,000 British troops – about half the current deployment - will have returned home, the report said.
Blair has been a key ally of George Bush, the US president, during the war in Iraq and the expected announcement could cause political problems for the US administration.
The Bush administration is planning to send some 21,000 troops into Iraq in addition to the 138,000 already there, in a last-ditch effort to restore security in the country.
Josh Rushing, Al Jazeera's military analyst, said the British move could cause problems for the Bush administration which is trying to argue for an escalation in US troops in Iraq when its main ally seems to be pulling out.
He said Blair's reported announcement would make the argument in Washington for what is being called a "troop surge" much more difficult to maintain.
"What was once called the coalition of the willing, was really just the US and Britain – and now Britain seem to be pulling out," he said.
Britain currently has about 7,100 troops in Iraq, most of them based around the southern city of Basra.
The British force is the second-largest foreign contingent of soldiers after that of the United States, which has more than 140,000 troops in Iraq.
Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the Bush's administration's National Security Council, said Blair had informed Bush of his plans to withdraw troops on Tuesday morning.
More
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/646AC730-BD49-48E7-967C-7636EEB15448.htm
By the end of 2007 some 3,000 British troops – about half the current deployment - will have returned home, the report said.
Blair has been a key ally of George Bush, the US president, during the war in Iraq and the expected announcement could cause political problems for the US administration.
The Bush administration is planning to send some 21,000 troops into Iraq in addition to the 138,000 already there, in a last-ditch effort to restore security in the country.
Josh Rushing, Al Jazeera's military analyst, said the British move could cause problems for the Bush administration which is trying to argue for an escalation in US troops in Iraq when its main ally seems to be pulling out.
He said Blair's reported announcement would make the argument in Washington for what is being called a "troop surge" much more difficult to maintain.
"What was once called the coalition of the willing, was really just the US and Britain – and now Britain seem to be pulling out," he said.
Britain currently has about 7,100 troops in Iraq, most of them based around the southern city of Basra.
The British force is the second-largest foreign contingent of soldiers after that of the United States, which has more than 140,000 troops in Iraq.
Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the Bush's administration's National Security Council, said Blair had informed Bush of his plans to withdraw troops on Tuesday morning.
More
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/646AC730-BD49-48E7-967C-7636EEB15448.htm
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Mr Blair is set to make a statement about the 7,000 British troops serving in Iraq at the Commons.
The BBC's James Landale said 1,500 troops were expected to return home in months, rising to 3,000 by Christmas.
Downing Street has not confirmed the reports but Whitehall sources have told the BBC the process could be slowed down if the situation in Iraq worsens.
'Robust force'
A Downing Street spokesman said: "It is right that the prime minister should update Parliament first."
More
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6380933.stm
The current total of 7,100 would be reduced first to 5,500 and then to 5,000 by the end of the summer, the prime minister told parliament in a special statement on Iraq.
But he did not specify a time in 2008 when all UK troops would be withdrawn.
More
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,,2018012,00.html