US & British Troops levels in Iraq reduced in 2006

[Chuckie]

For what it's worth, from a leaked British memo. US expected to cut troops to 66,0000 British to 3,000.

http://today.*******.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-07-09T233033Z_01_KNE984459_RTRUKOC_0_IRAQ-BRITAIN-TROOPS.xml

[ramy]

wow.... thats a significant reduction... Arent there around 120-133 thousand us troops in iraq right now ?

All this article is showing that they hope they can get troop number to 66000 but that is going to depend on the situation on the ground. Could be the same number of troops as now.... who knows..

[wannabe]

They will cut them. They can't send all the reserve/former active over there... they still haven't called me but you never know. If they do, i am pressing for a transfer to afghanistan. It's cool there.

[Aerosoul]

Nonetheless, the close-minded fools will still be yelling for everyone to come home this very minute. Because CNN doesn't report about the Iraqi Army, the ICTF, the good things happening.

[ElHombre]

i think this has far less to do with whether the iraqis are or are not ready to handle security and more to do with the long-noted fact that the US couldn't keep the number of troops deployed indefintiely. i read and saw several people note that starting in 06-07 the troops would have to be pulled out or risk breaking the army for at least a decade.

the decision to invade iraq on the cheap may finally be coming home to roost.

[ßå$tĮТHÏ¿ð]

Bad idea for setting a time-line on these sorts of things...and especially going public with it.

[Sloppy Joe2]

Bad idea for setting a time-line on these sorts of things...and especially going public with it. x2 expectations will be set on something that might not be able to be accomplished.
by doing this they will be winning one war while losing the most important.

[gc]

Yep they shouldn't let anyone know the timeline for withdrawal. But i do agree with withdrawing ASAP but not at such a speed as stated in the report. But a in a year i wouldn't be surprised that the number of iraqi forces exceed 200000. They are gaining experience day by day and US is currently conducting a lot of joint ops with them and buying more heavy weaponry such as tanks, M113 APCs and helicopters for them.

[AOCBravo2004]

Just out of curiosity, was that leaked memo redone on a typewriter by the articles writer, and the original memo destroyed to protect the source :lol: rofl