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British FM plays down speedy troop exit from Iraq
London (AFP) May 21, 2006 Britain's Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett Sunday played down the likelihood of an early withdrawal of British troops from Iraq following the formation of a new Iraqi government. "I think it is quite dangerous in this kind of situation to set artificial deadlines. Things will go forward as it seems sensible and safe to do so," Beckett told the BBC. "We have said for a long time that the British troops will stay there -- and the coalition troops will stay there -- while there is a job that needs to be done," she said in an interview. Beckett, who replaced Jack Straw as Britain's top diplomat in a cabinet reshuffle earlier this month, insisted that progress was being made with the training of a new Iraqi army and police force to take control of security. "As that progress is made and established, people will consider how we can withdraw," the minister said. "But I would envisage that even when responsibility is handed over to those Iraqi forces they will probably want some outside support for quite a while." Beckett's comments came one day after the new Iraqi government was finally formed -- a move seen as crucial to the exit plans for the US-led military. Britain, which has the second largest deployment in Iraq after the United States, has some 8,000 soldiers largely in the south of the country. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links The Military Industrial Complex at SpaceWar.com Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Japan making arrangements on Iraq troops pullout: report
Tokyo (AFP) May 20, 2006 Japan began making arrangements Saturday with the United States, Britain and Australia on a possible withdrawl of its troops from Iraq beginning in June, a press report said. |
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