U.S. official: Britain sees one more year in Iraq

The British military hopes to withdraw troops from Iraq within about 12 months, according to a U.S. defense official who said the UK government wants to focus its force on the war in Afghanistan.

What makes the UK so special? Why can’t U.S. troops be withdrawn as well?

British officials have told their U.S. counterparts the UK military was “near the breaking point” given long deployments in Iraq and weak retention of personnel, the American official said on Tuesday.

The official’s comments, made on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, come as diplomats and military leaders publicly debate strategy in Iraq.

Britain’s army chief said earlier this month troops should withdraw soon because their presence was making security worse. But the U.S. official’s comments offer the first hint Britain's military may have a timetable in mind.

“It’s about a year, give or take a few months,” the official said.

“Give or take a few months,” eh? I thought that UK troops were “near the breaking point.” If that’s true—and it probably is morale-wise—why not pull the troops out now, or three or four months from now?

Oh, right, because looking like you’re doing what the people want is much better than actually doing what the people want.

Another U.S. defense official downplayed the British discussions of troop levels as regular, internal military reviews and said the British government had not approached senior U.S. officials with adjustment plans or timetables.

Trust me, it’s much better to at least pretend to be planning to withdraw troops “soon” rather than blatantly denying that you’re doing so. Then again, very few in government actually trust the people they’re ruling.

“The Brits are very conscious of public opinion and things there are maybe worse than here,” a third U.S. official said.

It’s such a same we aren’t “very conscious” of public opinion. Actually, most Americans are, but the government isn’t—which means that it’s such a shame that American leaders are “rather opposed” to American public opinion.

Britain’s withdrawal could put more stress on U.S. forces, already facing equipment and funding shortfalls and the possibility of repeat tours in Iraq.

Of course, if we weren’t in Iraq in the first place, we wouldn’t have to worry about such things—and we wouldn’t have to mourn the death of family and friends. The same goes for any (and every) other country aiding the U.S. occupation of Iraq.

[…] Read the original article.
[+] Add post to your del.icio.us.