Thursday, June 07, 2007
Iraqi foreign minister asks Brown not to withdraw British troops
Security
(AFP) - Prime Minister-designate Gordon Brown should not withdraw British troops from Iraq, the war-torn country's foreign minister said Thursday as he cautioned that it is important not to show insurgents any sign of weakness. "We hope that the new prime minister, Mr Brown, is also a friend of Iraq and of the Iraqi people, and will not take any spectacular decisions," Hoshyar Zebari told AFP.
Brown is set to replace Prime Minister Tony Blair, one of the architects of the Iraq war, on June 27 after a decade as finance minister under him. "I believe there is the impression that he is seeking to differentiate himself from Mr Blair, and that one of the points is Iraq," Zebari said. "We must really reinforce the international coalition. The stakes are too important for all of us, which is why we hope that right now our friends in Great Britain and in the British government will remain at our sides."
The Blair government has already pledged to bring home about 1,600 troops from Iraq this year, reducing the country's force there to about 5,500. The Times newspaper published an interview with Zebari in which he expressed identical views. He also said although the situation was bad in Basra, where most British troops are based, it is not as bad as Baghdad.
"It needs better governance... The police force there is weak, the military is weak, the city council is not united," Zebari told The Times. He said the key question that had to be answered before British troops could be withdrawn was about the readiness of the Iraqi security forces to take their place. "Are we there or not? That is the question. By the time the British will make their decision whether to reduce, to draw down, that formula has to be correct."
Zebari also addressed the matter of whether Iraqi MPs want foreign troops in the country, noting that his government would be arguing in parliament that they are still needed. He noted that support for troop deployments in Iraq from voters in Britain and the United States is waning, telling the paper: "If you take all this, of course it is very significant."
Brown is set to replace Prime Minister Tony Blair, one of the architects of the Iraq war, on June 27 after a decade as finance minister under him. "I believe there is the impression that he is seeking to differentiate himself from Mr Blair, and that one of the points is Iraq," Zebari said. "We must really reinforce the international coalition. The stakes are too important for all of us, which is why we hope that right now our friends in Great Britain and in the British government will remain at our sides."
The Blair government has already pledged to bring home about 1,600 troops from Iraq this year, reducing the country's force there to about 5,500. The Times newspaper published an interview with Zebari in which he expressed identical views. He also said although the situation was bad in Basra, where most British troops are based, it is not as bad as Baghdad.
"It needs better governance... The police force there is weak, the military is weak, the city council is not united," Zebari told The Times. He said the key question that had to be answered before British troops could be withdrawn was about the readiness of the Iraqi security forces to take their place. "Are we there or not? That is the question. By the time the British will make their decision whether to reduce, to draw down, that formula has to be correct."
Zebari also addressed the matter of whether Iraqi MPs want foreign troops in the country, noting that his government would be arguing in parliament that they are still needed. He noted that support for troop deployments in Iraq from voters in Britain and the United States is waning, telling the paper: "If you take all this, of course it is very significant."
Labels: Basra, British military, Gordon Brown, Hoshyar Zibari, Iraq
