Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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December 17, 2008

British Troops to Complete Iraq Mission in 2009
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=21103DF:A6F02AD83191E160343DD57A91528B6370AD7039DCD7B7E4&
 
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sets May 31 date for troop
withdrawal during visit to Iraq 
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (L) shakes hands with Iraqi Prime
Minister Nouri al-Maliki during their meeting in Baghda, 17 Dec 2008
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says his country's troops will
complete their mission in Iraq by May 31, 2009, and that they will leave
the country by the end of July. Mr. Brown and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri
al-Maliki made a joint statement in Baghdad Wednesday after a previously
unannounced meeting between the two leaders. Britain has 4,100 troops in
Iraq.  Mr. Brown and Mr. Maliki said the British forces will have
"completed their tasks" in the country during the first part of 2009.The
leaders said the partnership between their two countries will continue
to "take on new dimensions" after British forces leave Iraq next year.
Britain is the second-largest contributor to the international military
coalition in Iraq after the United States. On Tuesday, Iraq's ambassador
to the U.S. urged the next U.S. administration not to abandon his
country, saying that if Iraq becomes a failed state, it will pose a
threat 100 times worse than Somalia. In a speech in Washington, Samir
Sumaidaie said Iraq has turned the tide against terrorism, arguing it is
the first time al-Qaida has been defeated on Arab, Muslim territory.
Sumaidaie said that if Iraq, with its vast oil wealth, falls into chaos,
it will be a huge threat to the security of the region and the world.
The Iraqi envoy also said that his country's Arab neighbors are coming
to accept that Iraq is going to be a "successful project."  

 

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


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