MNF: Brits Not Leaving Basra
Basra, Aug 25, (VOI) – The Multi-National Force (MNF) spokesman denied on Saturday any decision that British forces in Basra would be withdrawn soon, adding British forces would soon hand over the base in the former presidential palaces and joint coordination center to the Iraqi police.
“There is no decision or program to pull British forces out of Basra at present,” Maj. Matthew Bird told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
He pointed out that withdrawal of “500 British troops in Basra will take place by the end of this year,” adding “the cut in the number of British soldiers in Basra has nothing to do with any emergency circumstances or changes in the British policy in Iraq. It was a plan approved during the time of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in February 2007.”
British newspaper The Guardian had quoted military sources on Friday as having said that British soldiers would withdraw from the Iraqi city of Basra in two weeks’ time.
“Handing over those two camps should not be viewed as withdrawal of British forces from Basra. Rather, it should be considered a significant step to help Iraqi forces take over security responsibilities,” said Bird.
The British forces in Basra have two bases in the city’s international airport, 25 km northwest of the city, and former presidential palaces, where the British and U.S. consulates are located.
Both bases often come under attacks with Katyusha missiles and mortar shells by military agents of Iran.
The British forces in Basra, 590 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, keep 5,500 troops within the Multi-National Force in Iraq after withdrawing 1,600 soldiers during the past few months.
Britain is the United States’ prime ally in the March 2003 liberation of Iraq.
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What a surprise. The Commie cocksuckers in the Independent were full of shit with all their “the British are running away lies”.
August 25th, 2007 at 7:53 ammore dan rather lies fm the MSM… it is a wonder anyone buys a newspaper anymore,, ohhhhh there subscriptions are falling off… they are giving the minn. lefty-tribune away and the st. paul dispatch tooo.. pace now says he never said what the LAlies said he said, and now they are reporting that troop morale is very low.. and when i talk to the hundreds of parents and spouses and troops the only morale problem is with the reid congress and the MSM
August 25th, 2007 at 8:02 amWTF? They’re either withdrawing or they aren’t. Spinning it both ways is media hyperbole at it’s best. The Brits are leaving…so that’s what the spin doctors should say. The question is…who will take their place? Going to leave consular offices in bandit country without Force Protection? I think not.
August 25th, 2007 at 8:44 amyou have to find actual quotes by the government and military leaders to try and find the truth in the media
the msm whores will chop and edit and form stories to create a desired reaction, they do it well also
I can’t remember the last time I sat through a msm news broadcast, just shaped bullshit, I even have problems with fox news, they at times seem to be following the same bullshit lines that are pushed by the msm.
all I know is what I read here
August 25th, 2007 at 10:18 amYou’re missing the point. The forces the Brits are handing over to are riddled with local militia, and are not answerable to the central government in any effective sense. It’s the fox guarding the chicken coop.
So it’s just cover for pooching Basrah bigtime.
August 26th, 2007 at 10:39 amThis Specator article mentions that the UK armed forces total 100,000 — less than any time since Queen Victoria.
I sent a letter to the Spectator editor saying the UK would never be able to increase force levels; George Galloway and his Salafist constituency won’t stand for it!
August 26th, 2007 at 11:39 am