Mail On Sunday: USA, Britain to withdraw more forces from Iraq
Iraq-UK, Politics, 7/11/2005

Both the USA and Britain are thinking of pulling out more than 100,000 men from Iraq by the end of 2006. This measure is among many other options.

A document bearing the signature of the British defense minister John Reid published on Sunday by the British "The Mail On Sunday" said that London is working on a scenario to reduce the number of the British contingent deployed at the meantime in Iraq from 8500 men to 3000.

The document explained that Washington might reduce number of sits forces from 176,000 at the meantime to 66,000 after the authority transfer in 14 out of 18 governorates in Iraq to the Iraqi security forces.

The Mail On Sunday said today "Mr Reid says Britain wants to hand over to Iraqi control in two provinces in October 2005 and the other two UK-controlled provinces next April. This should lead to a reduction in the total level of UK commitment in Iraq to around 3,000 personnel, ie small scale... and an estimated halving in costs of around £1billion per annum currently," the document says.

The Mail On Sunday said: Mr Reid said there was a "strong US military desire" for "significant" force reduction. According to the document, the US wants to hand over control to Iraqi forces in 14 out of 18 provinces by early next year allowing a reduction from 176,000 troops to 66,000.

The Mail On Sunday reported: Reid saying "We have made it absolutely plain that we will stay in Iraq for as long as is needed..No decisions on the future force posture of UK forces have been taken. But we have always said that it is our intention to hand over the lead in fighting terrorists to Iraqi Security Forces as their capability increases. We therefore continually produce papers outlining possible options and contingencies."

Two days earlier, Italy announced it thinks of starting as from September in withdrawing partially its forces in Iraq, tolled 3000 troops.

Worth noting that The Washington Post had reported on May 22, that "U.S. military commanders have prepared plans to consolidate American troops in Iraq into four large air bases as they look ahead to giving up more than 100 other bases now occupied by international forces, officers said. Several officers involved in drafting the consolidation plan said it entailed the construction of longer-lasting facilities at the sites, including barracks and office structures made of concrete block instead of the metal trailers and tin-sheathed buildings that have become the norm at bigger U.S. bases in Iraq." This would be part of the gradualy US pull-out as Iraqi troops are able to take over, with an eventual US military capability to "look-over" Iraq from US basis on Kuwait's territories.

Previous Stories:
  Iraq' ambassador accuses US Marines of intentionaly killing his cousin   (7/2/2005)
  Contacts between Americans and representatives for the gunmen in Iraq   (7/2/2005)
  Washington warns Americans from travel to Iraq   (7/1/2005)

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