Breaking CNN: Blair to announce troop withdrawal

[MonkeyFunk]

They're saying Blair is expected to announce the withdrawal of 1,500 troops in the next few weeks, and 3000 by Christmas.


edit: here's an AP link http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070220/ap_on_re_eu/britain_iraq

[Critters2]

1. Out of how many on the ground?

Either way, this is good news!!

[MidwestTransplant]

7. UK currently has the 3rd largest army in Iraq. 3rd you say. Well there are more mercenaries than

British troops.

[AlCzervik]

2. did they how many british troops are there in all? Please and thank you.

[MonkeyFunk]

8. about 7,000

they're expecting roughly half of them to be out by year's end.

[AlCzervik]

10. Why that Terrorist emboldener!!!!!

[npincus]

3. K & R

[babylonsister]

4. I heard that weeks ago, around the time of the SOTU speech IIRC.

Edit to add: he's announcing "timetable" to withdraw, which is new. My bad.:spank:

[WI_DEM]

5. Oh, No! Looks like Bush's war buddy is buckling under due to

political pressure. Good!

[CottonBear]

6. Does this mean Prince Harry won't be going to Iraq?

Will they redeploy the troops to Afghanistan or send them home?

[malaise]

25. Bingo

You get it, although this troop withdrawal was previously announced.
Blair will be strung from the Tower of London by the English people if anything happens to Diana's son.

[Quixote1818]

30. Thats exactly what I was going to post! nt

[SoCalDem]

9. I hope Tony is smart enough to withraw the troops that Harry was to join up with

There is NO reason that young man should have to die or be injured for such a stupid lost cause..and even if he is not injuured or killed, his unit would be a big ole target for insurgents.. Imagine the coup if they managed to kill a member of the british royal family..

[Booster]

24. Totally agree. Something inside me just does not want Harry to

go to Iraq - I don't want our troops going either. I saw "The Queen" the other day and I wonder if she finally gave Tony a piece of her mind over this stupid war - no grandmother wants her grandson to go to a senseless war.

[Bucky]

32. Totally agree! Attractive blond kids whose names we know should not serve in war.

Ignore the typo in my subject line. What I meant to say is Bullshit. I don't support the war, but if there is a war, all a country's population needs to share evenly in the risks. I suspect that the royals know and accept this principle.

[CottonBear]

34. Hary threatened to quit the army unless he was deployed. He wants to serve.

His father served in the armed forces and his brother is also in the army. His uncle, Prince Andrew was in the Falklands war, his grandfather and several other ancestors were in WWII (one of them died in an airplane crash). Even QEII served as a driver in WWII.
Even Queen Elizabeth II served. She was trained as a driver in the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II.

[Bucky]

36. I saw some pictures of then-Princess Elizabeth doing grease monkey work in WW2

It was in an old Life Magazine, IIRC. She looked pretty hot.

[bigtree]

11. kick this up there

Bush on a limb

[MoonRiver]

12. Hopefully this will embolden Congress to redeploy our troops.

Americans will be really pissed off that we are taking on even more of the war burden.

* and the neocons will become irrelevant, until taken to court for crimes against humanity (:sarcasm:, unfortunately).

[SydneyBristow]

13. WOOT!!

Heck yeah, the rats are continuing to jump ship!! I wonder if our "partners" in the "war on terrorism (nouns)" is now considered a cut and runner?

[corkhead]

14. RUN AWAY!!! RUN AWAY!!!

[KingFlorez]

15. I guess Blair got a little bit of sense

[AzDar]

16. Cut & Run Tony! They're gonna follow them home to Britain like stray kittens!

:sarcasm:

[The_Casual_Observer]

17. He must be French! Surrender Monkey! What about Poland???

[Dr.Phool]

18. Send Harry to Poland! Or France.

[KingofNewOrleans]

22. We must immediately rename English Muffins!!!!

that is all

[Dr.Phool]

29. Coward muffins!

Terror biscuits!

[Bucky]

37. From now on, when I play pool, I'll be putting "freedom" on my trick shots

[w4rma]

19. Someone needs to tell the Republicans that their "surge" isn't surging.

Traitorous war-profiteering moonbats.

[tuvor]

20. Why does Tony Blair hate America????

[Bucky]

38. It's psychological. He trusted an American once, long ago, and he was hurt in this relationship.

Some cruel American treated young Tony no better than a poodle. And you just know how some Americans treat their dogs!

[Nutmegger]

21. This needs more R and K love.

:kick::thumbsup:

[malaise]

23. I won't miss his speech in Parliament tomorrow.

Any bet the Prince's unit is part of the first group out.

[BootinUp]

26. K&R!!! SERIES@!!111!

[RedEarth]

27. Cut and Runners........ now the terrorists will flood their country

[Double T]

28. The chimp is NOW out there all alone...............

time for Congress to act with a BINDING RESOLUTION.

[libnnc]

31. out there all alone dangling in the wind like the...

dick that he is.

[Blue-Jay]

33. I wonder if it has anything to do with Harry's deployment?

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BRITAIN_PRINCE_TO_IRAQ?SITE=VTBUR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

I suspect so.

[CottonBear]

35. BBC news link: Blair 'to confirm Iraq timetable'

Blair 'to confirm Iraq timetable'

Some 7,000 UK troops are currently serving in Iraq
Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to announce a timetable for the withdrawal of UK troops from Iraq.
Mr Blair is due to make a statement about the 7,000 British troops serving in Iraq at the Commons on Wednesday.

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.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "It is right that the prime minister should update Parliament first."

more...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6380933.stm

[chknltl]

39. Beilliant! The ter-rists will now go from Iraq to the UK...

Now that the ter-rists are going to the UK we'll be able to sneak out of Iraq and they'll never notice...Hooray wars over! We win...lets have a parade!

[Pachamama]

40. So is Bush and his yes men the only ones that think the "surge" is a good idea?

Because it sure looks like the whole world thinks its a bad idea and want to do the opposite...

:eyes: