Britain Hints At Iraq Pullout, U.S. Official Says

[333MP]

New York Times
October 25, 2006

Britain Hints At Iraq Pullout, U.S. Official Says


WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 (Reuters) — The British military wants to withdraw troops from Iraq within a year, and London wants to focus on the war in Afghanistan, a United States Defense Department official said Tuesday.

British officials told American counterparts that the British military was “near the breaking point” because of long deployments in Iraq and weak retention of personnel, said the official, who asked not to be identified.

The comments offered a hint that Britain’s military may have a timetable for withdrawal in mind.

“It’s about a year, give or take a few months,” the official said.

But another United States official at the Pentagon played down the withdrawal issue, and no comment was available from Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Labor government.

British discussions about troop levels were part of regular, internal military reviews, said this official, who also asked to not be identified, adding that the British government had not approached senior United States officials with adjustment plans or timetables.

On Sunday, Defense Secretary Des Browne said that Britain was “quite far down” the road toward transferring responsibility for security in Iraq to Iraqi forces but that British troops would leave only when the job was done.

About 7,200 British troops are based in southern Iraq. Mr. Blair has been President Bush’s closest ally over Iraq.

Britain has started a large new operation in Afghanistan this year, and commanders have acknowledged that they had hoped to accelerate force reductions in Iraq.

Mr. Blair and Mr. Bush face intense pressure domestically over Iraq because of the unrelenting violence.

A British withdrawal could put more stress on United States forces, which are already facing equipment and funding shortfalls and repeat tours of duty in Iraq.

Britain has handed over authority to Iraqi forces for two of the four provinces in its area of responsibility in the south.

[Donald]

It has always been the plan, once the Iraqi Government is fully in place, the Police and Miltary are brought upto strengh and trained, then hand over full control to the Iraqi and withdraw and let them get on with killing each other! There as always been a very rough timetable, though nothing could be put on paper due to the many varables involved.

[Grimmy]

^ yup.