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Gordon Brown declares victory!
October 9, 2007
Britain to Cut Its Force in Iraq by Half
By JANE PERLEZ
LONDON, Oct. 8 - Prime Minister Gordon Brown told the House of Commons on
Monday that the number of British troops in Iraq would be reduced by half,
to 2,500, by next spring, and he left open the strong possibility that all
British soldiers would leave Iraq by the end of 2008.
Mr. Brown said the reductions were possible because of the progress made in
training Iraq security forces. He described the situation in Basra, the
southern Iraqi city where the British troops are based, as "calmer."
In his formal statement to Parliament, Mr. Brown said that a decision would
be made in the spring as to how long that reduced force of 2,500 would
remain in Iraq.
At a briefing at the Foreign Office after Mr. Brown's statement, a senior
British official, speaking of that reduced force, said that "there was no
guarantee they will be there beyond the end of 2008."
The Bush administration has made clear that the bulk of American troops will
remain in Iraq at least until the end of President Bush's term, and Mr. Bush
has spoken of a military commitment extending beyond his administration.
Thus, the British intentions announced on Monday would make it likely that
British soldiers, sent by former Prime Minister Tony Blair as a strong
commitment to the war in Iraq, would leave well before American soldiers do.
In his response to Mr. Brown in Parliament, the leader of the opposition
Conservative party, David Cameron, seemed to sum up Mr. Brown's statement,
saying, "Now the troops are coming home."
In explaining his rationale, Mr. Brown told the Parliament: "The Iraqis are
now able to take responsibility for the security themselves."
He described a two-phase process of handing over responsibility for security
in Basra Province, where the British have been based since the start of the
war.
The process starts with British forces training and mentoring Iraqi security
forces, securing supply routes to the Iranian border and providing backup to
local security forces when needed. In the second phase, starting in the
spring of 2008, British troops will retain a more limited ability to
intervene by force, Mr. Brown said.
Troop levels will decline in stages, from the approximately 5,000 now in
Basra Province to 4,500 and then to 4,000. Levels will fall to 2,500 by
spring, Mr. Brown said.
During the session in Parliament, thousands of antiwar demonstrators clogged
the streets outside chanting slogans and carrying banners calling for the
return of all British soldiers from Iraq.
At the Foreign Office briefing, the senior British official said that the
troop reductions had been discussed in detail with the American commander in
Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus. "It is a number with which General Petraeus is
content," the official said.
The 2,500 British forces remaining after next spring will be stationed at
the Basra Air Station, and they will be involved almost entirely in
preparing trainers for two divisions of Iraqi soldiers, the official said.
About 500 more British troops, serving support roles to those in Iraq, would
be based in a neighboring country, the official said, and he indicated that
Kuwait was the most likely location.
In determining how much to reduce British force levels in Iraq, Mr. Brown
has had to deal with three constituencies: the British electorate, with whom
the Iraq war is unpopular; the British Army, whose commanders have
complained about the Iraq deployment stretching the military too far; and
the White House.
Mr. Brown's announcement effectively means that all British troops will be
out of Iraq by the end of 2008, said Toby Dodge, a senior fellow at the
International Institute of Strategic Studies in London and a specialist in
Iraq affairs. He said that Mr. Brown wanted "British troops out of Basra by
the British election," which is likely to be held in 2009.
The reduced numbers were also welcomed by the British army commanders, he
said.
Despite the statements by the British that the Pentagon was satisfied, Mr.
Dodge said he believed that the White House was "deeply uneasy" over the
decision. He cited remarks by Gen. Jack Keane, an architect of the American
troop increase this year, who has expressed frustration at the disengagement
of British forces in Basra.
In his statement to Parliament, Mr. Brown also sought to defuse an outcry
over the future of Iraqi civilians at special risk of attack because they
worked with the British troops. Iraqis who had worked alongside the British
for more than 12 months would be eligible for aid and emigration to other
countries, possibly including Britain, he said.
At a news conference at 10 Downing Street before his Commons statement, Mr.
Brown was bombarded with questions about why he had allowed speculation
about an early election to boil and then backed away from calling a poll.
"Yes, I did consider holding an election," Mr. Brown said. "Yes, I looked at
it."
But in the end, he said, he followed his "first instinct" to take more time
to show voters his vision for the country, particularly in housing,
education and health.
Mr. Brown insisted that opinion surveys had not influenced his decision. "I
happen to believe we would win at any time," he said.
Some surveys published in the British press over the weekend showed that the
Conservative Party had made inroads into swing seats now held by the Labor
Party. A plan to by the Conservatives to cut the inheritance tax, announced
at their annual conference last week, had special appeal in those seats, the
surveys showed.
The British news media reported today that Mr. Brown would probably have won
a November election but the current majority of over 60 seats would most
likely have shrunk substantially. The surveys showed the electorate to be
volatile after both the Labor Party and the Conservative Party held their
conferences, and after the surprisingly successful conference speech of Mr.
Cameron, the Conservative leader.
Mr. Brown said today that an election was "not likely" in 2008. He must call
one by 2010.
October 9, 2007
Britain to Cut Its Force in Iraq by Half
By JANE PERLEZ
LONDON, Oct. 8 - Prime Minister Gordon Brown told the House of Commons on
Monday that the number of British troops in Iraq would be reduced by half,
to 2,500, by next spring, and he left open the strong possibility that all
British soldiers would leave Iraq by the end of 2008.
Mr. Brown said the reductions were possible because of the progress made in
training Iraq security forces. He described the situation in Basra, the
southern Iraqi city where the British troops are based, as "calmer."
In his formal statement to Parliament, Mr. Brown said that a decision would
be made in the spring as to how long that reduced force of 2,500 would
remain in Iraq.
At a briefing at the Foreign Office after Mr. Brown's statement, a senior
British official, speaking of that reduced force, said that "there was no
guarantee they will be there beyond the end of 2008."
The Bush administration has made clear that the bulk of American troops will
remain in Iraq at least until the end of President Bush's term, and Mr. Bush
has spoken of a military commitment extending beyond his administration.
Thus, the British intentions announced on Monday would make it likely that
British soldiers, sent by former Prime Minister Tony Blair as a strong
commitment to the war in Iraq, would leave well before American soldiers do.
In his response to Mr. Brown in Parliament, the leader of the opposition
Conservative party, David Cameron, seemed to sum up Mr. Brown's statement,
saying, "Now the troops are coming home."
In explaining his rationale, Mr. Brown told the Parliament: "The Iraqis are
now able to take responsibility for the security themselves."
He described a two-phase process of handing over responsibility for security
in Basra Province, where the British have been based since the start of the
war.
The process starts with British forces training and mentoring Iraqi security
forces, securing supply routes to the Iranian border and providing backup to
local security forces when needed. In the second phase, starting in the
spring of 2008, British troops will retain a more limited ability to
intervene by force, Mr. Brown said.
Troop levels will decline in stages, from the approximately 5,000 now in
Basra Province to 4,500 and then to 4,000. Levels will fall to 2,500 by
spring, Mr. Brown said.
During the session in Parliament, thousands of antiwar demonstrators clogged
the streets outside chanting slogans and carrying banners calling for the
return of all British soldiers from Iraq.
At the Foreign Office briefing, the senior British official said that the
troop reductions had been discussed in detail with the American commander in
Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus. "It is a number with which General Petraeus is
content," the official said.
The 2,500 British forces remaining after next spring will be stationed at
the Basra Air Station, and they will be involved almost entirely in
preparing trainers for two divisions of Iraqi soldiers, the official said.
About 500 more British troops, serving support roles to those in Iraq, would
be based in a neighboring country, the official said, and he indicated that
Kuwait was the most likely location.
In determining how much to reduce British force levels in Iraq, Mr. Brown
has had to deal with three constituencies: the British electorate, with whom
the Iraq war is unpopular; the British Army, whose commanders have
complained about the Iraq deployment stretching the military too far; and
the White House.
Mr. Brown's announcement effectively means that all British troops will be
out of Iraq by the end of 2008, said Toby Dodge, a senior fellow at the
International Institute of Strategic Studies in London and a specialist in
Iraq affairs. He said that Mr. Brown wanted "British troops out of Basra by
the British election," which is likely to be held in 2009.
The reduced numbers were also welcomed by the British army commanders, he
said.
Despite the statements by the British that the Pentagon was satisfied, Mr.
Dodge said he believed that the White House was "deeply uneasy" over the
decision. He cited remarks by Gen. Jack Keane, an architect of the American
troop increase this year, who has expressed frustration at the disengagement
of British forces in Basra.
In his statement to Parliament, Mr. Brown also sought to defuse an outcry
over the future of Iraqi civilians at special risk of attack because they
worked with the British troops. Iraqis who had worked alongside the British
for more than 12 months would be eligible for aid and emigration to other
countries, possibly including Britain, he said.
At a news conference at 10 Downing Street before his Commons statement, Mr.
Brown was bombarded with questions about why he had allowed speculation
about an early election to boil and then backed away from calling a poll.
"Yes, I did consider holding an election," Mr. Brown said. "Yes, I looked at
it."
But in the end, he said, he followed his "first instinct" to take more time
to show voters his vision for the country, particularly in housing,
education and health.
Mr. Brown insisted that opinion surveys had not influenced his decision. "I
happen to believe we would win at any time," he said.
Some surveys published in the British press over the weekend showed that the
Conservative Party had made inroads into swing seats now held by the Labor
Party. A plan to by the Conservatives to cut the inheritance tax, announced
at their annual conference last week, had special appeal in those seats, the
surveys showed.
The British news media reported today that Mr. Brown would probably have won
a November election but the current majority of over 60 seats would most
likely have shrunk substantially. The surveys showed the electorate to be
volatile after both the Labor Party and the Conservative Party held their
conferences, and after the surprisingly successful conference speech of Mr.
Cameron, the Conservative leader.
Mr. Brown said today that an election was "not likely" in 2008. He must call
one by 2010.
