Violence forces Britain to cancel troop withdrawal in Iraq

[Praxius]

Predictable... jeez....

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/04/01/iraq-basra.html

Britain is cancelling its plans to withdraw some 1,500 troops from Iraq because of the recent surge in violence in the southern region of the war-torn country.

British Defence Secretary Des Browne was expected to make the announcement Tuesday in the House of Commons.

The country has about 4,100 troops in Iraq, most of them stationed outside the southern oil port city of Basra, which had been relatively peaceful until last week.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown had said late last year that he hoped to reduce the number of soldiers in the area to 2,500 this spring. British troops, who were sent to Basra in 2003, had already pulled out of the city proper, relocating to a nearby airbase and handing security responsibilities over to Iraqi police in December.

But British troops were pulled back into battle on the weekend, after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered a crackdown Shia militant fighters in Basra last week. Hundreds have been killed since then, as Iraqi troops have clashed with followers of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Basra, as well other southern cities and Baghdad.

U.S. forces have also launched air strikes in Basra.
Basra stabilizing, Iraqi PM says

But on Tuesday, al-Maliki said the situation in Basra is improving and he declared the operation to clear fighters from the city a success.

He said in a written statement that the government will recruit 10,000 more police officers and soldiers to enhance security in Basra.

Al-Maliki's statement came after al-Sadr struck a peace deal with the government.

Hmmm... the UK get's their job done down there, everthing was in control and they were about to pull out.... so then all of a sudden the puppet government and the US start causing all hell down there and destabalize their efforts.... now the UK has to stay. I friggin knew it... I friggin knew it once they started boasting their sucesses and planning to pull out..... f'ing typical.

 

[Albertabound]

Makes me wonder why certain people on this forum insist that the surge is working. It's not. Nothing will work in Iraq, it is impossible to win this war.

 

[lone wolf]

Wasn't it just a couple of weeks ago Tommy was patting themselves on the backs for a job well done?

Woof!

 

[Praxius]

Wasn't it just a couple of weeks ago Tommy was patting themselves on the backs for a job well done?

Woof!

Yeah until the Iraqi President and the US decided to make an offense exactly where things were under control. I swear they destabalize the country on purpose. I mean, honestly, there could have been many more other options to choose from.