United for Peace of Pierce County - NEWS: Britain planning Iraq troop withdrawal

Details: Written by Henry Adams; Published: 05 July 2005

The Financial Times of London reported Monday that Britain's Ministry of Defense is planning to draw down the number of British troops from 8,500 to 4,000-5,000 by April 2006 and to 1,000 by early 2007, while increasing the number deployed to Afghanistan by 3,000 by the end of the year.[1] -- The Evening Standard reported that British Defense Secretary John Reid said that things are getting worse because they are getting better: "Precisely because that is getting better, the terrorists are getting more frantic, more furious and more fanatic. And the massacres and the murders that are taking place are precisely because they wish to make sure that the progress is stopped."[2] -- Reid was parroting an American rhetorical ploy that has been in use now for years; for example, on Oct. 27, 2003, George W. Bush told reporters at the White House: "The more progress we make on the ground, the more free the Iraqis become, the more electricity that's available, the more jobs are available, the more kids that are going to school, the more desperate these killers become." -- John Reid also claimed that 12 to 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces were peaceful, which is another claim that has been regularly fed to public opinion; Patrick Cockburn, however, recently asserted that Iraq is "a country that is in a state of war in 15 of its 18 provinces (the only safe ones are the three Kurdish provinces)." -- Pravda's "News from Russia" web site headlined the news of a British plans to draw down troops as "U.K. to Teach U.S.A. How to Deal with Iraq," noting: "In the meantime, the situation in Iraq shows no signs of stability. . . . The oldest member of the Iraqi parliament Shiite Dhari Ali al-Fayadh, 87, was killed Tuesday by a suicide car bomb near Baghdad."[3] ...

U.K.

MoD PLANS IRAQ TROOP WITHDRAWAL
By Jimmy Burns and Peter Spiegel

Financial Times (UK)
July 4, 2005

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/a1384df4-ecbc-11d9-9d20-00000e2511c8.html

The Ministry of Defense has drafted plans for a significant withdrawal of British troops from Iraq over the next 18 months and a big deployment to Afghanistan, the Financial Times has learnt.

In what would represent the biggest operational shake-up involving the armed forces since the Iraq war, the first stage of a run-down in military operations is likely to take place this autumn with a handover of security to Iraqis in at least two southern provinces.

Defense officials emphasised that all plans for Iraqi deployments were contingent on the ability of domestic security forces to assume peacekeeping duties from U.K. troops. Iraqi forces have so far proven unable to take over such roles in areas where the insurgency is most intense, and progress has disappointed coalition officials.

But senior U.K. officers believe the four south-east provinces under U.K. command, which are largely Shia and have not seen the same violence as more Sunni-dominated areas north of Baghdad, may be ready for a handover earlier than those under U.S. command.

Any reduction of U.K. troops could be timed to coincide with plans being developed to deploy a total of up to 3,000 troops to Afghanistan before the end of next year. This deployment would take the lead in a NATO force to take over from U.S. troops in the south of Afghanistan.

In that role, the U.K. forces would help fight insurgents and provide support for the war on narcotics in the region.

While the MoD insisted that no decision had been made on Afghan or Iraqi deployments, John Reid, defense secretary, said yesterday that Iraqi forces could begin to take charge of security in their country within a year.

In an interview with the BBC Radio 4 Today program, Mr. Reid suggested that plans were consistent with the recent prediction of Donald Rumsfeld, U.S. defense secretary, that it could take take up to 12 years to defeat the Iraqi insurgency.

He told the BBC that while the insurgency in Iraq may go on for some considerable time, there remained a second question.

Who will lead the security efforts against the insurgency? And I think in a relatively short period of time we can start the process of that being led by the Iraqi security forces themselves, he said.

Mr. Reid went on: So although Donald Rumsfeld may have said, correctly, that this may take years before it is finally completed, that did not imply that all that period will have to be led by the multi-national forces or the British forces.

I personally think that within a year we could begin that transition to the Iraqi forces leading the effort themselves.

It is a view echoed by military commanders. Air Chief Marshall Jock Stirrup, the current Royal Air Force commander who will become chief of the general staff next year, said more stable Iraqi provinces -- including those under U.K. command -- were likely to be handed over to local security forces more quickly than first thought.

By next April, a best case scenario would see current troops levels of 8,500 reduced to about 4,000-5,000, with a further cut in the period leading to the first quarter of 2007, when the British military presence is expected to fall to about 1,000 advisers and training personnel.

--Additional reporting by Victoria Burnett in Kabul

News

IRAQI FORCES 'IN CHARGE IN A YEAR'

Evening Standard (UK)
July 4, 2005

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/PA_NEWA15408941120463908A0?source=PA%20Feed

Iraqi forces could take charge of security in their country within a year, Defense Secretary John Reid has said.

Mr. Reid said the insurgency in Iraq could go on for some "considerable time."

But he said the multi-national forces could hand over responsibility for leading the security effort within a year.

He said: "The insurgency in Iraq may go on for some considerable time. But there is a second question and that is: Who will lead the security efforts against the insurgency?

"And I think in a relatively short period of time we can start the process of that being led by the Iraqi security forces themselves. So although Donald Rumsfeld may have said, correctly, that this may take years before it is finally completed, that did not imply that all that period will have to be led by the multi-national forces or the British forces.

"And I personally think that within a year we could begin that transition to the Iraqi forces leading the effort themselves."

Mr. Reid said of the 18 provinces in Iraq, 12 to 14 were relatively peaceful.

He renewed the Government's promise that British troops would not pull out of Iraq until the Iraqi government asked them to. He said the coalition was involved in a "major struggle" but had made "huge progress" with elections held and a transitional assembly set up.

He said it was precisely because of that progress that insurgents were now stepping up their efforts.

"Precisely because that is getting better, the terrorists are getting more frantic, more furious and more fanatic. And the massacres and the murders that are taking place are precisely because they wish to make sure that the progress is stopped. That is the big strategic battle that is going on at the moment."

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