British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Saturday held out the prospect of a substantial withdrawal of troops from Iraq, possibly as early as next year, when he outlined a four-point road map paving the way for an end to Britain’s involvement.
On a one-day visit to Iraq — with a heavy military presence by his side at all times — Brown declared that Iraqi forces would take over Basra airport, the main British military headquarters.
He told British soldiers that they were on the final leg of duties in Iraq in an address at the city’s airport in the sweltering afternoon heat of 52°C.
PHOTO: AP
Critics said Brown pledged to cut the number of troops last October to 2,500 by spring but yesterday there were still 4,100 holed up at the airport.
His declaration, which could lead to the bulk of British forces leaving Iraq by the time of the British general election in 2010, came 24 hours after the White House announced that the US and the Iraqi authorities had agreed on a “general time horizon” for the “further reduction of US combat forces in Iraq.”
Brown echoed the White House by refusing to be drawn on how many British troops would be withdrawn — and when.
“I am not going to set any artificial timetable,” he said.
Brown earlier underlined his determination to withdraw troops as he hailed the improved security in Iraq. British troops in the Basra area now face one major incident every six days rather than six incidents a day.
Speaking in Baghdad, Brown said: “It is certainly our intention that we reduce our troop numbers. But I am not going to give an artificial timetable at the moment.”
Brown made clear that he has his eyes firmly set on troop cuts when he outlined a four-point plan, which he described as “building blocks for the future,” designed to pave the way to Iraqi forces assuming full control.
The steps of the plan are increasing the training of Iraqi police and military forces so they can take control of security; stepping up political progress so that provincial elections are held in Iraq by the end of this year and no later than early next year; intensifying reconstruction to build on the growing strength of the Iraqi economy, which is growing at 7 percent this year compared with 1 percent last year; and creating the conditions so that the Iraqis can resume control of Basra airport — Britain’s military headquarters in Iraq — so that it can return to full civilian use.
There are 4,000 British troops stationed at Basra airport.
Brown made clear that he would decide troop numbers in London — and would not defer to the White House. He said in Baghdad he would not set any artificial timetable.
“You are now working with the Iraqi forces to train them up so that they can take over the responsibilities so that we can complete our work here in bringing Basra to democracy, security and eventual prosperity,” Brown said.
One senior British source made clear Britain believes Iraq is entering new territory after the success of the US-led “surge,” spearheaded by US General David Petraeus.
One British military source said Britain feels it is important to hand over to Iraqi security forces because the presence of British troops will soon become counter-productive.
“We need to assess when the time has come that we will actually get in the way of the Iraqi security forces. That will have consequences. Basra is not Surbiton, but great progress has been made in recent months,” the source said.
Brown’s visit to Baghdad and Basra came ahead of a statement he will make to the House of Commons tomorrow in which he will update members of parliament on Britain’s military commitment in Iraq.
Archeologists in Peru on Thursday said they found the 5,000-year-old remains of a noblewoman at the sacred city of Caral, revealing the important role played by women in the oldest center of civilization in the Americas. “What has been discovered corresponds to a woman who apparently had elevated status, an elite woman,” archeologist David Palomino said. The mummy was found in Aspero, a sacred site within the city of Caral that was a garbage dump for more than 30 years until becoming an archeological site in the 1990s. Palomino said the carefully preserved remains, dating to 3,000BC, contained skin, part of the
TRUMP EFFECT: The win capped one of the most dramatic turnarounds in Canadian political history after the Conservatives had led the Liberals by more than 20 points Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney yesterday pledged to win US President Donald Trump’s trade war after winning Canada’s election and leading his Liberal Party to another term in power. Following a campaign dominated by Trump’s tariffs and annexation threats, Carney promised to chart “a new path forward” in a world “fundamentally changed” by a US that is newly hostile to free trade. “We are over the shock of the American betrayal, but we should never forget the lessons,” said Carney, who led the central banks of Canada and the UK before entering politics earlier this year. “We will win this trade war and
‘BODIES EVERYWHERE’: The incident occurred at a Filipino festival celebrating an anti-colonial leader, with the driver described as a ‘lone suspect’ known to police Canadian police arrested a man on Saturday after a car plowed into a street party in the western Canadian city of Vancouver, killing a number of people. Authorities said the incident happened shortly after 8pm in Vancouver’s Sunset on Fraser neighborhood as members of the Filipino community gathered to celebrate Lapu Lapu Day. The festival, which commemorates a Filipino anti-colonial leader from the 16th century, falls this year on the weekend before Canada’s election. A 30-year-old local man was arrested at the scene, Vancouver police wrote on X. The driver was a “lone suspect” known to police, a police spokesperson told journalists at the
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has unveiled a new naval destroyer, claiming it as a significant advancement toward his goal of expanding the operational range and preemptive strike capabilities of his nuclear-armed military, state media said yesterday. North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim attended the launching ceremony for the 5,000-tonne warship on Friday at the western port of Nampo. Kim framed the arms buildup as a response to perceived threats from the US and its allies in Asia, who have been expanding joint military exercises amid rising tensions over the North’s nuclear program. He added that the acquisition
RSS