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Secret plan to to withdraw form Iraq? - The Huddle Fantasy Football Forums
Click here to print10/07/05 - News sectionSecret Plan To Quit IraqEXCLUSIVE By Simon Walters, Mail on SundayBritain And America are secretly preparing to withdraw most of their troops from Iraq - despite warnings of the grave consequences for the region, The Mail on Sunday has learned.A secret paper written by Defence Secretary John Reid for Tony Blair reveals that many of the 8,500 British troops in Iraq are set to be brought home within three months, with most of the rest returning six months later.The leaked document, marked Secret: UK Eyes Only, appears to fly in the face of Mr Blair and President Bush’s pledges that Allied forces will not quit until Iraq’s own forces are strong enough to take control of security.If British troops pull out, other members of the Alliance are likely to follow.

The memo says other international forces in Southern Iraq currently under British control will have to be handled carefully if Britain withdraws.

It says they will not feel safe and may also leave.Embarrassingly, the document says the Americans are split over the plan - and it suggests one of the reasons for getting British troops out is to save money.

Mr Reid says cutting UK troop numbers to 3,000 by the middle of next year will save £500 million a year, though it will be 18 months before the cash comes through.The document, Options For Future UK Force Posture In Iraq, is the first conclusive proof that preparations for a major withdrawal from Iraq are well advanced.The British Government’s public position is that UK troops will stay until newly trained Iraqi forces are ready to take control of security.

Less than a fortnight ago, Mr Blair said it was “vital” the US-led coalition stayed until Iraq stabilised, and Mr Bush endorsed his comments.’Military drawdown’Mr Reid’s memo, prepared for Mr Blair in the past few weeks, shows that in reality, plans to get them out - “military drawdown,” as he puts it - are well advanced.It says: “We have a commitment to hand over to Iraqi control in Al Muthanna and Maysan provinces [two of the four provinces under British control in Southern Iraq] in October 2005 and in the other two, Dhi Qar and Basra, in April 2006.”This in turn should lead to a reduction in the total level of UK commitment in Iraq to around 3,000 personnel by mid 2006.”This should lead to an estimated halving in the costs of around £1 billion per annum.

Though it is not exactly clear when this reduction might manifest itself, it would not be before around the end of 2006.”Mr Reid states that his proposal is not yet a “ministerially endorsed position” - or Government policy - though he clearly believes it should be.Significantly, he underlines the serious impact on other Allied troops in the area now under British control, including 550 Japanese engineers rebuilding the infrastructure and 1,400 Australian soldiers: “The Japanese will be reluctant to stay if protection is solely provided by the Iraqis.

The Australian position may also be uncertain.”Mr Reid says he will produce “further and more specific proposals” for the Cabinet’s Defence and Overseas Policy (Iraq) Committee, which is chaired by Mr Blair.But some British Army chiefs are opposed to Mr Reid’s plans.

One senior officer claimed the Minister had no option but to recall 3,000 British troops in October as Britain has already promised to send an extra 3,000 personnel to southern Afghanistan to replace US soldiers.”The momentum for this is more to do with pressure from America and the woefully overstretched British Army than whether Iraq is ready to look after itself,” said the source.

“The timing seems very convenient.British wait for American lead”The view of most of our military people in Iraq is that we must not leave until the Iraqis are ready to cope, and it is by no reckoning certain that they are.”The memo leaves little doubt that the British plan to take their lead from the White House, where an increasingly unpopular Mr Bush is under huge pressure from the US public to bring American troops home fast.The paper says it “sets out what we know of US planning and possible expectations on the UK contribution, and the impact on UK decision making”.It says Mr Bush’s allies in the Pentagon and Centcom, or Central Command, are at odds with Army chiefs in Iraq, who fear it is too soon to withdraw in such large numbers.The document states: “There is a strong US military desire for significant force reductions.”Emerging US plans assume 14 out of 18 provinces could be handed over to Iraqi control by early 2006, allowing a reduction in [Allied troops] from 176,000 down to 66,000.

There is, however, a debate between the Pentagon/Centcom, who favour a relatively bold reduction in force numbers, and the multinational force in Iraq, whose approach is more cautious.”A Downing Street source said: “We have always said we will scale down our presence in Iraq when the Iraqis are capable of providing security.

But we will not do it before then.”The Ministry of Defence last night confirmed the leaked document was genuine.

Mr Reid said: “This is but one of a number of papers produced over recent months covering various scenarios.

We have made it plain we will stay in Iraq for as long as is needed.

No decisions on the future of UK forces have been taken.”But we have always said it is our intention to hand over the lead in fighting terrorists to Iraqi security forces as their capability increases.

We therefore continually produce papers outlining possible options.

This is prudent planning.”According to a BPIX survey for The Mail on Sunday, 52 per cent of Britons think UK troops should return home only when Iraq is a peaceful democracy, which could take years.

Eighteen per cent said our soldiers should return immediately and 23 per cent said they should withdraw in six months.Find this story at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti…in_page_id=1770©2005 Associated New MediaCheating Bastages-35 man roster-7 man DTS-1 1/2 PPR league.Eli, Huard, Trent Green, McCown, J Russell, StantonSJax, R Bush, Rudi, Ricky, Lundy, Greg JonesDriver, Wayne, Javon Walker, Stallworth, Greg Jennings, Terry Genn, Moulds, James Jones, Clowney, KRobCrumpler, Scheffler Wilkins, LindellIDP
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Should I Stay Or Should I Go Lyrics(The Clash)Darling you gotta let me knowShould I stay or should I go?If you say that you are mineI’ll be here ’til the end of timeSo you got to let knowShould I stay or should I go?Always tease tease teaseSiempre - coqetiando y enganyandoYou’re happy when I’m on my kneesMe arrodilla y estas felizOne day is fine, next is blackUn dias bien el otro negroSo if you want me off your backAl rededar en tu espaldaWell come on and let me knowMe tienes que desirShould I Stay or should I go?Me debo ir o que darmeShould I stay or should I go now?Should I stay or should I go now?If I go there will be troubleAn’ if I stay it will be doubleSo come on and let me knowThis indecision’s bugging meEsta undecision me molestaIf you don’t want me, set me freeSi no me quieres, librameExactly who’m I’m supposed to beDiga me que tengo serDon’t you know which clothes even fit me?ðSaves que robas me querda?Come on and let me knowMe tienes que desirShould I cool it or should I blow?ðMe debo ir o quedarme?Should I stay or should I go now?ðYo me frio o lo sophlo?If I go there will be troubleSi me voi - va ver peligroAnd if I stay it will be doubleSi me quedo es dobleSo you gotta let me knowMe tienes que decirShould I stay or should I go?ðYo me frio o lo sophlo?”Some scientists claim that hydrogen, because it is so plentuful, is the basic building block of the universe.

I dispute that. I say there is more stupidity than hydrogen, and that is the basic building block of the universe.” musician/philosopher - Frank Zappa
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1. “Should I Stay or Should I Go Lyrics” were EXCELLENT.2.

Nixon had a plan too.

It was secret.Can we bump this outta NFL and into the Tailgate?Bettis’ last home game#85–MUERTA!
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QUOTE(Ruffian @ 7/10/05 09:01am)1.

“Should I Stay or Should I Go Lyrics”  were EXCELLENT.

2. Nixon had a plan too.

It was secret. Can we bump this outta NFL and into the Tailgate?

[right][snapback]871925[/snapback][/right]My thinking exactly.

I know they call him randull for a reason, but even he should know better than this.This post has been edited by westvirginia: 7/10/05 4:14pm”Bother”, said Pooh, as he chambered another round…Who is John Galt?”America is at that awkward stage.

It’s too late to work for change through the system and it’s too early to just shoot the bas-tards.” Claire Wolfe
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Should I Stay Or Should I GoF U B A R
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