>>>>>>I just read a news story about Blair's announcement on cnn.com and don't understand why this has been described as a plan for British withdrawal from Iraq. It sounds more like a troop reduction. No timetable was set for when the remaining 5500 British troops will leave.
>>>>>
>>>>>How about Tony sends up those "extra troops" to Baghdad before they go home, and show us Yanks how to do it the right way? :)
>>>>
>>>>They don't want to put themselves under any more danger ... i.e. from the US troops :-)
>>>
>>>What’s a little collateral damage amongst friends? :)
>>
>>Well we wouldn't want any more of your guys fearing ending up "in jail, Dude".
>
>That shows compassion and understanding! After all, our jails are overcrowded.

I've just thought. The danger might be the other way round now, and British troops open fire on Americans, After all, they won't necessarily recognise the US uniform anymore, as you seem to change it (esp. the DPM) more frequently than Manchester United change their strip (uniform). The pattern for Gulf War II was different from GW I, and seems to have chaged again. And now they're wearing those daft, new little p!ss-pot helmets.

I think that's where half your tax dollars are going - re-clothing the troops with this season's rig :-)