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Seshmeister
09-02-2007, 07:22 PM
From The Sunday TimesSeptember 2, 2007

UK troops poised to quit Basra

Michael Smith and Sarah Baxter, Washington

BRITAIN is preparing to hand over control of Basra to the Iraqi army as early as next month, sparking renewed claims from the US that the British are preparing to “cut and run”.

The Iraqi army is on course to take control of Basra province by the autumn with October seen as the earliest point at which it would be ready, according to Whitehall officials.

It could allow Gordon Brown to announce the handover in his widely anticipated statement on Iraq to the Commons when MPs return from the summer recess.

The handover would enable most of the 5,500 British soldiers to leave Iraq, although negotiations are under way to base some troops in Kuwait.

According to defence sources in Washington, American commanders in Baghdad have accepted that British troops are on their way out of Iraq, prompting further criticism this weekend from US military commentators. Frederick Kagan, of the American Enterprise Institute, said it was “hard to imagine” conditions that would allow a handover next month. “It really highlights the growing divergence between the British and American approach,” he said.

General Jack Keane, a key architect of the US troop “surge” in Iraq, said the handover plans had “much more to do with conditions in the UK” than those in Iraq.

Government attempts to play down the simmering row with the US were hampered by General Sir Mike Jackson, former head of the British Army, who launched a scathing attack yesterday on American handling of postwar Iraq.

Jackson described the approach taken by Donald Rums-feld, the former US defence secretary, in postwar Iraq as being “intellectually bankrupt”.

The growing irritation in Washington will only be increased by renewed claims that the British have done a deal with the Shi’ite militias to ease their way out of Basra.

The lawyer for a Briton held without trial in Basra detailed a number of secret meetings where the British agreed to a phased release of militants, including known killers.

The Ministry of Defence denied any such deal but a senior defence source said secret talks mediated by the Iraqi special police had been “going on for weeks” to ensure a safe withdrawal from Basra Palace.

The prime minister has promised President George W Bush that the British will continue to monitor the progress of the Iraqi troops for the foreseeable future.

That will require about 2,500 troops, including a 1,500-man quick reaction force to intervene if the Iraqi security authorities cannot control the situation.

Officials emphasised that a number of plans were under consideration but senior military commanders are pushing to base the force in Kuwait.

Whitehall sources confirmed last week that Britain was speaking to the Kuwaiti government about “moving some of the functions currently carried out at Basra airport to Kuwait”.

Seshmeister
09-02-2007, 07:23 PM
Thought I better start a new thread in here since for some reason the 'Main' forum is starting to catch up in number of threads...;)

Nickdfresh
09-02-2007, 07:29 PM
Government attempts to play down the simmering row with the US were hampered by General Sir Mike Jackson, former head of the British Army, who launched a scathing attack yesterday on American handling of postwar Iraq.

Jackson described the approach taken by Donald Rums-feld, the former US defence secretary, in postwar Iraq as being “intellectually bankrupt”.

Typical of the British to be so understated...:)

(I think what eh was trying to say was Rumsfeld's handling of Iraq was "fucking retarded.")

Seshmeister
09-02-2007, 08:22 PM
:)

Yeah especially our military who usually don't say shit about anything publically.

Seshmeister
09-02-2007, 08:27 PM
There has been a lot of stuff about this over the last few weeks.

Basically the British military think that the total fuckups post war where British advice was ignored about keeping the Iraqi army intact and just getting rid of the very top echelons has made the whole thing a total mess. Bremner then acting like a fucking Roman dictator giving out his pronouncements every week on Iraqi TV made things even worse.

I've also heard retired senior US generals say the same thing.

Two total fucking idiots Rumsfeld and Bremner made this situation impossible.

Now there are some US people trying to spin that the British have failed in the South and are running.

The alternative view from here is that all the fuckups by the US administration made this an impossible situation which cannot be made better so fuck it, lets get out.

I'm with the later view. The British were doing fine, hearts and minds stuff, not even wearing helmets and making friends until Rummy and Bremner etc stirred up so much fucking hatred it was undoable.

Cheers!

:gulp:

Nickdfresh
09-03-2007, 02:54 PM
I think the statistic that 85% or all attacks are on Coalition Forces is very telling...

And then there's Bushleague over there trying to spin and shore up floundering support for his war...

LoungeMachine
09-03-2007, 03:12 PM
Fucking Cut n Run, troop hating, Liberal pansy-ass Brits.

Why don't you support our troops.

Stay and die like the rest of us.

See you in the Men's Loo

Love,

The American Republicans United Behind Bush

BITEYOASS
09-03-2007, 10:04 PM
I see this British withdrawl as a rational thing to do, considering that the PNAC influenced fuckwits in the white house and their ass-kissing yes-men generals won't admit that they HAVE NO FUCKIN BALLS TO ADMIT THAT THEY FUCKED EVERYTHING UP FOR THE PAST 4+ YEARS! But I guess that is not the patriotic thing to say, especially ever since the beginning of the cold war the US government won't admit of screwing up any strategies over the past 50 years. :mad: