Posted on 08/01/2007 6:45:37 AM PDT by John Farson
Gordon Brown has paved the way for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq by telling George Bush he would not delay their exit in order to show unity with the United States.
After four hours of one-to-one talks with the US President at his Camp David retreat, Mr Brown told a joint press conference he would make a Commons statement in October on the future of the 5,500 British troops in the Basra region.
(Excerpt) Read more at belfasttelegraph.co.uk ...
Leftist coward.The jihadis amongst them will have a heyday under Brown’s limp wristed leadership.
Nowhere in that article did i see any comment by Brown to back up the newspapers headline.
Did I miss something?
What a slanted, biased article. The media believe it can make something true just by saying over and over. Now, if Brown doesn’t do what they say, they’ll call him a liar.
Hopefully we won't be in the same boat after the 2008 elections.
Watching the BBC News (yes,I know...it's the BBC) they commented that during their press conference,while Bush was upbeat and "jovial",Brown looked as if he'd rather be having a root canal than be standing next to Bush.I rewound the clip and,sure enough,they were right.Brown was,through his body language,communicating contempt and disdain for Bush.
I'll wager everything I have that when the history books are written Brown will not be mistaken for another Chuchill,Thatcher or even Blair.
Let’s see...5,500 Brits in Basra packing it in to leave us to go it alone. Seems to me we have several times that number of buried Americans in Europe that died to save their collective butts in the last century (not to mention the billions of dollars spent to protect Western Europe during the Cold War). How soon they forget.
Totally different view in this article:
World facing terror threat - Brown
Aug 1 2007
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has declared that the “war” on terror was a “struggle for the soul of the 21st century”.
He said the world was facing major campaigns by “al Qaida-inspired terrorists” bent on destroying life and wrecking countries’ infrastructures.
Mr Brown’s comments came during his visit to New York in an interview with NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.
He was challenged about his apparent reluctance to use the phrase “war on terror” and told NBC: “It is a war. We have had to fight a very big campaign. This is a battle, this is a struggle.
“It’s a struggle for the soul of the 21st century.”
The Prime Minister added: “I have got no doubt we are facing major campaigns by al Qaida-inspired terrorists.
“We know a large number of people would, if they could, destroy life and put at risk our infrastructure and we have got to be vigilant.”
On Iraq, the Prime Minister insisted he would not change tack, nor set a timetable for the withdrawal of British troops.
He said: “There’s no change of policy. We continue to do what we have been doing over these last few months and in these last few years.”
And on troop withdrawal, he insisted: “There should be no artificial timetable. I think that would be a mistake.”
The Brits in Iraq are by no means ‘packing it in’. Brown has toed exactly the same line as Bush on troops in Iraq. He has also stated, uneqivocally, that there will be no artificial timelines placed on British troop withdrawals from Iraq. Have a look at this article:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1874446/posts
Britain has also increased its commitment to Afghanistan. The UK has lost hundreds killed and wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. We’re the only ally standing with you in this regard. The article cited, if you actually read it, is highly slanted and very inaccurate.
We haven’t forgotten anything. We’ll always be grateful for US help in WW2. But perhaps you have forgotten that Britain stood alone against the entire Third Reich from 1939-1942. We saved our own butts too.
Brown has stated that he won’t put an artificial timeline on British troop withdrawals from Iraq: the very same line taken by your President.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1874446/posts
The UK is also increasing it’s commitment to Afghanistan. Have a serach for ‘Brown’ on FreeRepublic and you will also see a myriad of articals in which PM Brown has praised the US and spoken of the struggle against international terrorism for the ‘soul of the 21st Century’. The UK is staying with the US.
Understood.
I wish I could be as confident as you are.Brown strikes me as being all too "European"...if ya catch my drift.
And for the record I,unlike some in this country,recognize that not all Europeans (or British folks) are leftist fools.
well, to be fair to the UK mate, the situation is different in the south than the rest of iraq. there is much less Al-Qaeda based insurgency, and the main problem are militias and some nationalists who resent British rule. We have handed over all of our provinces to iraqi control, bar Basra, which should be on its way in the next six months.
I mean, i’m all for sticking by our allies, but our mission is coming to a close, we just got it done faster than you guys thats all. it must be jealousy then, and one thing you cant accuse us Brits of is abandoning our post.
There will be a sizeable contingent (say a couple of thousand, which would still be more than any of your other allies) of forces based outside Basra at the airport in an overwatch role, but the day to day fighting and the like will be done by our rapidly improving iraqi army and police.
“5,500 Brits in Basra packing it in to leave us to go it alone. Seems to me we have several times that number of buried Americans in Europe that died to save their collective butts in the last century (not to mention the billions of dollars spent to protect Western Europe during the Cold War). How soon they forget.”
Begging your pardon, but we payed our dues and give thanks to the US’ers who came over and helped win, the war, after the UK had refused to lose it. How long should we be indebted to your nation do you think? And dont think that your actions were entirely altruistic, and you benefited from your actions as much as we did in Europe. Otherwise Russia would be one hell of a rival. Remember, superpowers dont have friends, they have interests!
I urge all you Yanks out there not to adopt this pesimistic tone and take strength from the fact that Iraq, in the south at least, is improving.
Oh, and the troops we take out of Iraq are going straight back into Afghanistan to do the entire job of NATO in Helmand province and the south in general.
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