Right. As I said in a reply to Jim earlier, what Blair actually said was not quite what the media had been led to believe beforehand. This announcement seems to be of little consequence, just another force reduction. As Blair said, they have already withdrawn 2000 in the past two years and had 40,000 at the beginning.


>Blair’s words do not seem like a done deal. Words like, “could” and “hope” do not sound like “will”.
>
>
>"1,600 troops based there could come home in the "coming months".
>
>"government sources say the hope is that all the troops will have left by the end of next year".
>
>http://cbs5.com/national/topstories_story_052064640.html
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>According to the BBC Tony Blair is expected to announce on Wednesday that the last British troops in Iraq will be phased out. 1500 of the remaining 7000 UK troops in Iraq will be called home soon and the rest on a schedule to be defined.
>>
>>It never really was an international coalition like the first Gulf War. IMO this seals it that the U.S. is going this alone. We're the last to figure out what a bad idea this was.
>>
>>Tony Blair can't be announcing this for political reasons because his career has already been wrecked by his steadfastness with the U.S. in Iraq. He is an even lamer duck than President Bush. In the end he is doing what he thinks is right. Good for him.