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greensideout
10-12-06, 10:17 PM
I just read a news clip that said the new Army Chief of Defense of the UK believes that it is time to pull the UK troops out of Iraq. His statement likely POed Tony Blair and he will not comment at this time. The General says that after a succesful win of the war the current action is doing more to make things worse then to bring about peace.

yellowwing
10-12-06, 11:52 PM
I don't know, Bro. We did them a favor, and us too, in toppling Saddam. I'm wondering lately are they as a people ready for a democratic form of government?

Tell them we'll keep 50,000 boots on the ground until you get your affairs in order, to protect them from Iran and Syria.

We'd still be their biggest economic trading partner, which carries a lot of power and influence.

The downside might be that they bite in the arse 10-20 years from now, like Afghanistan did.

What gets me is this latest report of how many hundreds of thousands of civilians have died in Iraq. The methodology to measure was really dubious.

But the current political counter-spin is to attack the report. Its like they ignoring the whole point.

The political counter-spin should have been, "We disagree with the quoted numbers of the estimate. But no matter the exact number, their report does prove that the Iraqi people still need us. And we are committed to their security."

*This message sponsored the Committee to Elect Yellowwing :D

yellowwing
10-13-06, 03:06 AM
Nelson rules out Iraq troops withdrawal
ABC NEWS AUSTRALIA
Friday, October 13, 2006 (http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200610/s1764310.htm)

Defence Minister Brendan Nelson says Australian troops will continue their work in Iraq, despite a call from the head of the British Army for UK troops to be withdrawn.

UK chief of general staff Sir Richard Dannatt says his country's presence in Iraq is exacerbating security issues in the UK.

Labor leader Kim Beazley says Sir Richard's comments are a victory for common sense.

"His analysis of the situation in Iraq and for that matter in Afghanistan is the same as we have been putting before the Australian people for a very lengthy period of time," he said.

"Everybody now knows this is the wrong war, everybody now knows that the persistence of the presence of allied forces in Iraq is exacerbating the problem with terrorism in that country."

But Dr Nelson says Australia has an important role training Iraq's Army and security forces.

He says the Australian Government is determined to ensure Iraq can support itself and its own security.

"Under no circumstance are we going to let the insurgents and the terrorists and those people who want to destroy the rights of the Iraqi people that have been hard fought, under no circumstances are we going to let them win," he said.

"The fundamental question that needs to be put to Australians and to Mr Beazley in particular - whatever you think about the decision to get rid of Saddam Hussein and give freedom and choice to Iraqi citizens, no less important than it is for Australians, whatever you think of that choice - is Iraq and Australia's peace and security going to be any better if we leave or we stay to see the job through?

"So long as I remain Minister, we are there to see the job through."

10thzodiac
10-13-06, 06:00 AM
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=imageCell>http://www.itv.com/news/story6122ca842bf559989974c4236ef39098_160x120.jpg</TD></TR><TR><TD class=imageCell>"Whatever consent we may have had in the first place, may have turned to tolerance and has largely turned to intolerance" - Gen Sir Richard Dannatt </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Army chief calls for Iraq withdrawal
11.25, Thu Oct 12 2006

The head of the British army has said UK troops in Iraq are acting as a catalyst to violence and should be withdrawn soon.
General Sir Richard Dannatt said British troops should get out "sometime soon because our presence exacerbates the security problems".
Gen Dannatt, who became Chief of the General Staff in August, told a newspaper: "We are in a Muslim country and Muslims' views of foreigners in their country are quite clear.
"As a foreigner, you can be welcomed by being invited in a country, but we weren't invited certainly by those in Iraq at the time.
"The military campaign we fought in 2003 effectively kicked the door in.
"Whatever consent we may have had in the first place, may have turned to tolerance and has largely turned to intolerance."