Downing Street Says

Asked when troop numbers would reach a figure of 4500, the Prime Minister’s Spokesman told the assembled press that this would happen at PIC. The Prime Minister of Iraq had said that he expected that to happen by December and that was consistent with the Government’s expectation. Asked when the 500 logistics and support personnel would be deployed, the PMS replied that it was something that would happen over a period of time and there was no exact timetable for it that he was aware of. As was clear from the numbers, this would be a progressive reduction in British troop levels and alongside that, there would be 500 troops moving to a base outside of Iraq.

Asked if the 500 were not currently in theatre, the PMS said that details should be checked with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) but his understanding was that since there were troops constantly going in and coming out, it was not as simple as identifying one individual soldier and moving them somewhere else.

Put that after a further 1500 troops were taken out of Iraq in the spring, the remainder would be policing the Iran-Iraq border and was it at that point that an irreversible decision was made as to whether troops could go back into Basra, the PMS said that in the second stage of overwatch, the main difference was that troops would have less of a capacity to re-intervene. The PMS went on to say that this would have some implications for the number of troops involved in the security of supply routes and the protection of the Iran-Iraq border, but this would be something that would have to be discussed nearer the time. In terms of moving to the second stage, the main difference was the capacity for reintervention. The PMS reiterated that there may be some ongoing responsibilities for security of supply routes, but the detail of that would be specified and agreed nearer the time.

Asked to be clear on troop numbers and if by next spring there would be a reduction to around 2500 troops, plus the 500 logistics personnel, the PMS confirmed there would be 2500 troops in Iraq with 3000 overall in the region.

Asked how many troops would be in the region at Christmas, the PMS said that the Prime Minister had made very clear when he had visited Iraq, that the number of troops in Iraq would be 4500.

Asked if there was any prospect long-term, of going below 3000 troops in the region and was the issue being driven at all by the need for more man-power in Afghanistan, the PMS replied that Iraq was clearly separate from any decision in relation to Afghanistan. In terms of what would happen beyond the spring, the PMS said that the Prime Minister had made it clear that there would be a further decision about the next phase made then.

Asked if there were troops who thought they were going to Iraq but would now not be going, the PMS said that people would have to check with the MOD on this issue.

Asked if the figure of 500 for interpreters was roughly right, the PMS said that there had been figures quoted in that sort of region and he did not want to put a precise figure on it.

Asked why the Government was pre-announcing something that was entirely dependent on the situation on the ground, the PMS replied that the Government had more certainty now of what conditions on the ground might be. The Iraqi Prime Minister had made a statement saying the Iraqi Government would take responsibility for security in Basra by December and this was consistent with the Government’s expectation. The UK had been building up and training the numbers of Iraqi security forces, to the extent that an extra 13,000 Iraqi army forces and 15,000 police officers had been trained up in the region. The PMS reiterated that the Government could say with a lot more certainty what the expectations were over the next six months.

Asked if the PMS could comment on reports that there was another battle group going out to Afghanistan at almost the same time as troops coming back from Iraq, the PMS said that he did not have any information on the reports and people should check with the MOD.

Put that a complete draw-down was being pencilled in for the spring, as it was not possible to have less than 2500 troops in Iraq, the PMS said he did not want to pre-empt any decision made in the spring. Asked again if the next phase after 2500 troops in Iraq was complete draw-down, the PMS replied that a decision would be made in the spring and that may or may not have implications for troop numbers.

Asked if he thought there would be 2500 British troops in Iraq by Christmas 2008, the PMS said he did not want to get into the business of speculating beyond anything that was in the statement.

Asked how the Government could say with any confidence what the troop numbers would be next spring when the conditions were unknown, the PMS said that announcements on troop levels in Iraq had always happened step-by-step. What was being set out was what the Government expected to happen to troop levels over the next six months. In six months time there would be a further assessment, and a further decision would be taken at that point.

Asked if Britain could have a viable force below 2500 troops, the PMS replied that the advice from the military was that the number of troops in Iraq would include provisions to protect them. A viable force below 2500 would depend on circumstances, but the Government would be guided by military advice.

Asked how many people would be allowed to resettle in the UK, the PMS said he did not know the exact number. Asked how people would be vetted, as presumably there was a possibility of people making fraudulent claims of having worked for the British forces, the PMS replied that there would be a more detailed statement made by the Foreign Office later this week as the Prime Minister had said today. Asked if the figure would include the families of people who had worked for the British forces or not, the PMS said that people would be allowed to make an application on behalf of themselves and their families.

1 Comment »

Will Brown the Bottler stand up to the US international bullies and make the break from his Bush-compliant sycophant predecessor?

Apparently not:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/07/wiran207.xml&CMP=ILC-mostviewedbox
Comment by Tony — 9 Oct 2007 on 7:56 pm | Link

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» Monday, October 8, 2007

Iraq

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