Posted on 11/23/2006 12:41:45 PM PST by Stoat
Beckett: Basra hand-over by springBy Toby Helm, Chief Political Correspondent Last Updated: 1:56am GMT 23/11/2006
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The Sun Online - News Basra pullout 'as Blair quits'
Sort of gives one the impression that the Brits are running things. Does'nt it?
They don't. We do.
Another reason to be grateful this Thanksgiving...
It goes well with our original one of getting rid of them in the first place.
I found this article rather unsettling....I would have preferred a joint statement from the US Administration along with our British allies if there is in fact some consideration of such a radical and rapid change.
It caught me off-guard and causes me concern as to how much communication is occurring.
Also, by announcing this, the terrorists will merely wait until spring before launching any major offenses.
Well said my friend.
But let's take it one logical step forward. Don't you see the "fine renaissance hand" of The Al Queda in all this?
This is vintage War Propaganda and the Brits are being led around by the nose in the role of gullible twits making disloyal and divisive press commentary for their "clients"...the Islamo-fascists.
Small wonder you are a little disconcerted by this utterly disloyal conduct.
You're not alone in this, dear one.
This has been in the planning for sometime. We already handed over a couple of provinces to the Iraqi forces, Maysan and Basra are next in line. And we are 'running things' in those areas.
"I would have preferred a joint statement from the US Administration along with our British allies if there is in fact some consideration of such a radical and rapid change."
Explain how is it radical and rapid? Perhaps you didn't read the article about how this has been planned, and how it fits in with the previous handovers by British to Iraqi security forces and similar operations in American controlled areas.
Well, the Muslim leaders in the UK told Blair, after the plot to blow up the airliners was discovered last summer, that Muslim dissatisfaction was due to the UK foreign policy in support of the US and Israel. And if Blair didn't change his foreign policy, he could have 2 million Muslim terrorists to contend with.
Also, the notion is being bruited about in liberal circles in the UK that if you support Israel or the US, you are betraying the UK by encouraging Muslim terrorism.
Blair's foreign policy has been entirely consistent throughout his Premiership. It's frequently misrepresented and misunderstood on this forum, but it's entirely consistent.
Well, you dropped the ball there. It caught no one off guard on this side of the Atlantic. It's only been building up in the news here for ages.
Well said and noted.
The "story" is being "managed" by the press and "worked" as propaganda to the advantage of the enemy.
I trust you realize that "dis-information" is a prime weapon of these types of "warriors".
So, not to be too didactical, a simple old news item has been used like a flame thrower.
Well, you dropped the ball there.
By my giving greater weight to an official statement by the Foreign Secretary at 10 Downing Street than by other, lower officials in times past that do not carry the weight of a State Policy?
It caught no one off guard on this side of the Atlantic. It's only been building up in the news here for ages.
Please don't be so terribly eager to paint others as being completely out of touch, when I am only drawing a distinction between previous 'chatter' and an official pronouncement of State Policy by the Foreign Secretary, which, by the way, is "quicker than expected", according to the article..
I continue to wish that this had been a joint announcement, considering the fact that it is being projected as a matter of State policy.
From the article:
"The plan for a quicker than expected withdrawal was revealed today by Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary"
If the plan is 'quicker than expected', how can that have been "building up in the news here for ages."?
Well, it didn't catch Canard off-guard either. Everybody knew this was coming. No need to be off guard.
Everybody knew that a plan " for a quicker than expected withdrawal " was coming?
Why then, was this "quicker than expected?"
If "everybody knew it was coming" then it would have been just as all have expected then, wouldn't it?
And then it wouldn't be described as being "revealed today" would it, because it's "all old news" ?
If this "quicker than expected" plan is such old news for you, then I suppose you have a rare gift of insight that the author of this article doesn't have.
"then I suppose you have a rare gift of insight that the author of this article doesn't have."
Well that's quite possibly true.
Personally I think the author of the article has confused two issues of when day to day security control of certain areas will be handed over to the Iraqi's, as has always been planned, and when British troops will leave Iraq altogether.
For instance, at the start he says "The plan for a quicker than expected withdrawal was revealed today by Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, who said she had confidence the Iraqis could assume control of the southern Basra region at some point next Spring.."
And then later "Last month Tony Blair suggested most British troops would remain in Iraq until early 2008"
Those two are not in anyway mutually exclusive. And the article also states that "An MoD spokesman added: We are saying we hope to be in a position in pring to be able to (go through with) transition. But it is too early to say whether it is going to happen or what the effect would be on troop numbers.".
If British troops all left Iraq in the spring, that would indeed be 'quicker than expected'. But that is not what has been announced, nor is there any indication at this stage that it is envisanged. So the journalist is wrong in that statement.
The handover of areas to Iraqi control was always part of the plan, was always designed to be a step-by-step process and has been underway for quite some time. The handover of Maysan Province will actually be 'later than expected' as in the summer it was mooted for pre-Christmas.
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