J-10
01-20-2005, 06:36 AM
Britain urging US to come up with Iraq withdrawal timetable
Thu, Jan 20, 2005
LONDON (AFP) - Britain is urging the United States to announce a possible timetable for the withdrawal of the countries' troops from Iraq.
British officials believe that the time has come to give an "indicative timetable" for departure over the next 18 months or so, the Daily Telegraph said Thursday, citing unnamed sources.
There would be no firm deadline for the withdrawal, and it would depend on Iraqi armed forces becoming able to deal with security in the country, meaning foreign troops would not leave until around mid-2006.
Thus far, no definite date has been proposed for US and British forces to quit Iraq.
British officials argue that however tentative a timetable, it would boost Iraq's transitional government and undermine claims from insurgents that Washington intends to occupy the nation indefinitely.
"Giving a timetable would be an important political signal that we intend to leave Iraq," what was named as a "well-placed Whitehall source" -- meaning an official rather than a member of the government -- told the newspaper.
"The main Iraqi parties are already talking about when coalition forces should be drawn down. American knows it will have to deal with the issue soon."
Downing Street was hopeful that Washington could be prodded into making a formal announcement within the next few months.
On Wednesday, the New York Times said that after Iraq's January 30 elections, the country's new administration would ask the United States to set a timetable for withdrawal.
Britain currently has just over 9,000 soldiers in Iraq, mainly based in the south of the country, while the United States has more than 170,000.
From (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1538&ncid=732&e=9&u=/afp/20050120/wl_uk_afp/iraqbritainus)
Thu, Jan 20, 2005
LONDON (AFP) - Britain is urging the United States to announce a possible timetable for the withdrawal of the countries' troops from Iraq.
British officials believe that the time has come to give an "indicative timetable" for departure over the next 18 months or so, the Daily Telegraph said Thursday, citing unnamed sources.
There would be no firm deadline for the withdrawal, and it would depend on Iraqi armed forces becoming able to deal with security in the country, meaning foreign troops would not leave until around mid-2006.
Thus far, no definite date has been proposed for US and British forces to quit Iraq.
British officials argue that however tentative a timetable, it would boost Iraq's transitional government and undermine claims from insurgents that Washington intends to occupy the nation indefinitely.
"Giving a timetable would be an important political signal that we intend to leave Iraq," what was named as a "well-placed Whitehall source" -- meaning an official rather than a member of the government -- told the newspaper.
"The main Iraqi parties are already talking about when coalition forces should be drawn down. American knows it will have to deal with the issue soon."
Downing Street was hopeful that Washington could be prodded into making a formal announcement within the next few months.
On Wednesday, the New York Times said that after Iraq's January 30 elections, the country's new administration would ask the United States to set a timetable for withdrawal.
Britain currently has just over 9,000 soldiers in Iraq, mainly based in the south of the country, while the United States has more than 170,000.
From (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1538&ncid=732&e=9&u=/afp/20050120/wl_uk_afp/iraqbritainus)