Posted on 07/12/2002 5:19:04 PM PDT by DeaconBenjamin
Britain is to withdraw most of its 2,400 troops from Kosovo, fuelling talk it is preparing to provide support to any US military attack against Iraq.
A senior Nato official in Brussels said the Ministry of Defence in London "was mentally preparing for new challenges". When asked if this would involve Iraq, he retorted: "Well what do you think?" suggesting that the British Army was readying itself for a possible war in the Middle East. A British diplomat agreed that there would be speculation about future deployments - "plans further east - but not too far east", indicating that he himself was surprised by the suddenness and scale of the withdrawal.
British officials insisted, however, that London was withdrawing troops from Kosovo for purely practical reasons. Rumours of US plans for an attack on Iraq have been building in Washington for several weeks but the Bush administration has given no information about deployment of troops in the region.
"We are reviewing our troops deployed abroad," said a British official. "We are simply overstretched at the moment. We have troops serving in over 80 countries."
The extent of the phased withdrawal, expected to begin in a few weeks, has also surprised some of Britain's European allies, particularly France and the Netherlands. Only a few hundred British troops will remain in Kosovo.
"The US does not hide that it may need its troops serving in the Balkans to be reduced in number and deployed in the fight against terrorism further afield," said a Nato diplomat. "What are we to make of the British reductions?"
To be replaced by Serb peace-keepers?
The English may just be pulling out because the KLA is getting pissed off about having virtualy its entire leadership cadre arrested or cashiered in the last few months.
control of Kacanik won't have anything to with it, now would it ? Destro views pluz ?
Why not?
Yes, really. Why not?
did the PoHM's get PO'd about get shot at so many times while patroling the Macedonia-FRY border ?
Probably cracking down on the KLA for crimes against Albanians, internationals, and interference with KFOR, but when it came to crimes against the Serbs – the British aided and abetted the ethnic cleansing, terror and murders.
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/ops/docs99/mu060899.htm
A Yugoslav government minister alleged on Thursday that 14 Kosovo Serb farmers gunned down in a field last month were murdered by ethnic Albanians dressed in British military uniforms. "They were KLA but wore British army uniforms and that's why the Serbs didn't react at all, didn't try to flee," Goran Matic, a minister without portfolio, told Reuters, citing local Serbs. Matic did not imply that British peacekeepers who control that sector had given the uniforms to the KLA, but alleged that they were generally siding with the ethnic Albanians. "They (the Britons) gave some 30 jeeps to the KLA, we know that," he said by phone. Three Albanians were detained in connection with the Gracko killings but NATO peacekeeping investigators have said they were hunting for more suspects. (Reuters 051354 GMT Aug)
Three Albanians were detained in connection with the Gracko killings
I’m sure they were set free after a short time in detention.
Unlike Muslims who claim people have killed - but never identify most all, if not all, the bodies (and that is if there are any bodies), never match up the DNA, nor do they provide forensic evidence to prove killings happened as claimed, the murders of Serbs happen right in view of the international community, the bodies are found, are identified, and have been killed as claimed.
Excellent news. A natural way of events should be:
1. All Western troops pull out of Kosovo;
2. Their positions are fulfilled by Yugoarmy - Kosovo's still oficially a part of Yugoslavia, you know;
3. The kangaroo court in the Hague offers their apologies to Mr Milosevic and sets him free;
4. Since the post of the Yugo president isn't yet vacant, Milosevic becomes Kosovo governor - his experience in Muslim terrorists' eradication would be priceless!
5. Carla del Ponte could also be useful in Kosovo - cleaning latrines in the barracks.
Yes, I agree with you. The condition of the Kurds is desperate. I firmly believe that when the nations were carved out following WWI & WWII by Britain and France that they made a serious mistake not giving the Kurds their own homeland. How many know that these nations (Iraq, Syria, etc. are not "ancient" nations but were created less than a hundred years ago.)
They should immediately receive northern Iraq. It would be appropriate punishment for Hussein. Kurds from worldwide would be allowed to arrive and settle there. They would be protected until able themselves by Nato.
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