Events, dear boy, events.
Sunday, July 10, 2005

BBC News: UK draws up Iraq 'pull-out plan'
The paper, by Defence Secretary John Reid, suggests the UK's 8,500 troops in Iraq could be cut to 3,000, saving around £500m a year.

Is it just me or is the timing of this leak - of plans for a phased withdrawal from Iraq - curious?

It plays both ways - no talk of all troops being withdrawn so accusations of running away are avoided but it throws a bone to the anti-occupation faction. Plus Reid says no decision has been made. Double bubble.


4 Comments:

On July 10, 2005 9:46 AM, Blogger Postman said...

White man speak with forked tongue  


On July 10, 2005 4:46 PM, Blogger Friendly Fire said...

Covering your bases?  


On July 10, 2005 9:08 PM, Blogger CuriousHamster said...

I'd say it's probably a hedge betting testing the waters type leak.

As someone who was absolutely oppossed to the war, one thing does bother me about US and UK withdrawl - are things actually going to get better in Iraq?
Now that so many extremists have been drawn to Iraq, I can't see them getting up and going home when the US and UK troops leave. Islamic theocracy in the South? Civil war?
This whole invasion has been a bloody shambles and it's difficult to see how it's going to get better.  


On July 11, 2005 1:51 PM, Blogger Justin said...

I'm with you CH: we broke it, we bought it.

I'm one of those unfortunate few, deliberately overlooked by pro-war advocates who like to smear all "stoppers" as troops-out quitters, that think we should stay there until everything is fixed, every Iraqi has perfect democracy, clean water, schools, hospitals, security, ipods and pet dinosaurs.

And then Bush has to knock on every door in Iraq and apologise for the inconvenience.  


Post a Comment




Links to this post:

Create a Link


Home