Gordon Brown Signals Iraq Withdrawl Timeline

Crossposted at Strategy08.

Another European leader signals that it is time to get out of Iraq

Gordon Brown today paved the way for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq, promising a "fundamental change" of mission in the first half of 2009.

In a Commons statement, the prime minister heaped praise on the work of British soldiers and insisted the security situation in Basra had been "transformed".

"We will continue to reduce the number of British troops in Iraq," Brown said.

"Just as last year we moved from combat to 'overwatch', we would expect a further fundamental change of mission in the first months of 2009 as we make the transition to a long term bilateral partnership with Iraq, similar to the normal relationships which our military forces have with other important countries in the region."

More excellent news for Obama, on the heels of his well received presser in Jordan:

All eyes were on Obama to see how he would perform on a world stage with every political reporter of any consequence either on the trip with him or watching closely on television.

And, as he has done before in the course of the campaign, Obama seemed to be up to the moment -- sensing the need to convey gravitas and bipartisanship while also strongly defending his own beliefs about America's role in Iraq and the broader Middle East.

Gone were the jokes and "rah rah" language that won over many Obama partisans but left many undecided voters wondering whether there was any there when it came to the Illinois senator. Instead, we saw a serious explication of his position on removing combat troops in Iraq, a position bolstered in recent days by repeated calls by the Iraqi government to remove U.S. military forces from the country by 2010.

There seem to be some concerns about a backlash on this trip (Obama being perceived as taking a victory lap), but it's too soon to tell if that will actually happen. The media however seems to really be taking to this meme and perhaps John McCain's complaints about media love will fully take hold, which will lead to increased scrutiny of Obama. But Obama should certainly be careful as he winds this trip up in any case.

•  Tips

  More great news!

  by turneresq on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:08:32 PM PDT

•  mistranslation

  I think he was actually talking about tea or something.

  by Stroszek on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:10:46 PM PDT

  •  The King's English

    So hard to understand.

    by turneresq on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:11:09 PM PDT

    •  Brown didn't use the word "horizon"

      so obviously there is a problem with this quote!

      by RethinkEverything on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:12:56 PM PDT

  •  "He was actually talking about tea or something"

    Well yes actually, 'overwatch' is a scottish dialect word  for assam, 'long term bilateral partnership' is ofcourse an earthernware teapot, and 'normal relations'  refers to the art of brewing for several people. It's astonishing how people will draw political conclusions from a teaparty.

    by brizzlefoshizzle on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:48:08 PM PDT

•  Doesn't have a choice

  Gordon Brown doesn't have a choice in the matter.

  From Defense News:

  Britain's military has operated at an unsustainable level for a sixth consecutive year, the country's defense ministry said in a report released July 21.

  by weasel on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:12:23 PM PDT

  •  Operating at an unsustainable level

    hasn't seemed to deter Bush and McCain so far.

    by smash artist on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:22:57 PM PDT

    •  Yes, but

      the UK isn't run by the U.S. Republican Party. The bizarre neocon/theocrat coalition in control of the Rethugs make even the Tories look like ultraliberals.

      by bwintx on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 01:04:14 PM PDT

•  Brown is a "politician", with "constituents"

  (like Iraqi PM Maliki) therefore anything he says that appears to support Obama should be dismissed. On the other hand, if he says anything that agrees with McCain, he is a "leader" with "valuable experience".

  by Marinesquire on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:14:18 PM PDT

  •  They are really spinning like a top

    I wonder if their complaints/spin will catch on; the GOP has been historically good about staying on with these types of memes.

    by turneresq on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:17:22 PM PDT

•  I love the British. They are so polite.

  When asked to leave, they do.

  by highfive on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:15:20 PM PDT

•  Backlash? Just the GOP trying

  to diminish Obama's performance as a leader, and the news media parroting them again to sell their worthless programs.

  So many in this country have forgotten what real leadership looks like.  We have seen almost 8 years of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, McCain, etc.

  However, many people are waking up and smelling the coffee.  This is what I hope anyway.  

  by DEQ54 on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:17:17 PM PDT

  •  Tough to say

    Obama is getting great pictures and press, but we won't know if he got the benefit until next week.

    by turneresq on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:18:02 PM PDT

  •  Fineman caught the bug...

    McCain's surge worked, and now he's the political victim.

    I just love when warmongers are portrayed as "victims."  Not only that -- McCain is (gasp!) actually suffering the indignity of being held to account for taking a position on keeping troops in Iraq that most Americans oppose.  

    There appears to be severe manifestations these past few days of the strain of McCainus apologius presently infecting the tradmed.

    by gatorbot on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:31:04 PM PDT

•  Tipped and Rec'd - I think this is actually

  bigger news than your admirably restrained headline suggests.  

  Our number one ally is now buying into the Obama plan as well?  And "fundamental change"?  It's like everyone is trying to get in on the action.

  by dansac on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:20:23 PM PDT

  •  It's been like pulling teeth

    To get the press to report on these developments accurately.

    by turneresq on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:22:25 PM PDT

    •  It's going to be harder soon

      This McCain attempt to work the refs will have its predictable effect pretty soon.  Which is remarkable considering how big a pass McCain has been getting, it's hard to imagine it getting any bigger.

      by dansac on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:23:53 PM PDT

      •  Which is why I think it might hurt McCain

        The press has been called his base, and to criticize them now, well it might anger them a bit.  

        by jj32 on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:27:05 PM PDT

      •  "Biting the hand that feeds you" was the phrase

        I was looking for, as Avenging Angel described it another diary.

        by jj32 on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:36:34 PM PDT

•  About the backlash

  We were just speaking about Obama's world tour. A coworker said to me (what IS it with these Repubs in Indiana??), "last I checked, Europeans couldn't vote". I said, "there is a reason they call them world leaders, about time we had one".

  by alkalinesky on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:25:56 PM PDT

  •  I wouldn't be surprised to see that

    As their next line of attack. "How dare Obama run around acting like he is president." Of course, the GOP goaded him into going, but why let some facts get in the way of a good rant.

    by turneresq on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:29:47 PM PDT

•  Coalition of the shrinking

  US 158,000
  UK 4,000
  Georgia* 2,000 (Dec/07), supposed to be down to 300 this summer
  Poland 900
  South Korea 933
  Australia 300

  APPROXIMATE TOTAL DEPLOYMENT AS OF 2/08

     * 166,000 troops (incl. ~10,200 non-U.S.)

  APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF CONTRACTORS AS OF 2/08

     * 161,000 contractors: 53% (~85,300) Iraqi, 17% (~27,400) American, 30% (~45,500) Other
           o Including 20–30,000 mercenaries as of 12/07

  http://en.wikipedia.org/...

  On a bright note, Tonga is still there, holding down the fort.

  by Scarce on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:28:56 PM PDT

  •  and still shrinking...

    Poland agreed all will be home during 2008, dates agreed by end October.

    Australia, all combat troops have gone home, remaining troops leaving with exception of small group protecting embassey.

    South Korea: proposals to reduce to 600 and remove last group before year end.

    Georgia: with war looming in 2 breakaway provinces of Abkhazia, and South Ossetia, deployment to Iraq is being used as away of getting training for their forces by US Army, but they have now rotated several thousand through and need them at home for the looming war(s).

    by dansmith17 on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 11:35:45 AM PDT

•  The troops vote too

  It makes a lot of sense for a candidate to go overseas when the troops are abroad.  They deserve to hear him speak his policy as much as anyone in America.

  by marsokhod on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 12:40:29 PM PDT

•  Nice Diary, and recommended.

  This is good news, even though the decision to check out & turn out the lights was way overdue.

  Money - the deciding factor.

  I've been following the UK story for a few years.  It seems that the decision go to into Iraq was FAR more contested and uncertain than people think.  The main issue was money.  Waging wars is unbelievably expensive.  It can ruin nations.  The US had an incredibly tough time convincing the UK to go in.
  For the first year, the war expenses were paid for out of a trust which I believe it ran out in 2004.  The UK again started pusing the 'red alert' button to Washington it could not pay for its 4,000 troops in Basra any longer.  Something happened after that, and I'm not sure if the US decided to cover their expenses.

  Or just tightened the noose a little tighter.

  The fact is that the UK is helplessly tied to the U.S.'s fortunes their banking systems are tied like a ball and chain to each other.  The UK had no choice but to go in that's why they've defied their own public opinion for years.  Public opinion has been overwhelmingly against the war in Iraq, but there was nothing they could do.    

  by Cliss on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 01:02:35 PM PDT