Show Freedom coalition reducing r 4 cing troops Floyd W Masters Community Editor British Prime Minister Tony Blair told the British Parliament on Feb 21 that Britain would begin withdrawing its troops from Iraq British troops will be reduced to approximately by the end of 2007 a substantially lower amount than the estimated troops at the height of the t 1 0 J. J d It i S I fighting in 2003 according to the BBC Since the terrorist attacks in London on July 7 2005 Blair has been under pressure from members of the British Parliament to implement an exit strategy The plan calls for a change in the British military's role from policing to that of training and supporting Iraqi troops The majority of British troops are stationed in in and around Basra Basra isn't how we want it to be Blair said but it does mean that the next chapter in Basra history can be written by the Iraqis The Basra region is much less volatile than the area around Baghdad the Shiite due to primarily i control I Troops jf I Continued on page 3 I I i t. t c Bringing Troops home Continued from page 1 If IL Baghdad cannot be secured the future of the country is in peril The enemies of Iraq understand that we understand it Blair said The developments come on the heels of President George W. W Bushs Bush's plan to increase troops by in Iraq Blair has been President Bushs Bush's biggest ally in the Iraq War The British withdrawal is being described as a sign of stability in the region by bythe bythe bythe the Bush Administration White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said This was always the plan the to turn over control to Iraqi Government We view this as a positive sign said Secretary of State Rice The British have done what is really the plan for the c country as a whole which is to transfer security a responsibility to the Iraqis ras ras r rl as the situation permits IRice IRice I F FRice Rice spoke from c Germany where she is t tl meeting with the German 2 foreign minister The coalition remains intact rand rand nand r n and in fact the British still J p I have thousands of troops I deployed in Iraq Rice I l said t On the same day that I 1 Great Britain announced s the reduction in in troop levels Denmark said that 1 t tit it would be withdrawing its 1 j troops 1 0 The coalition of the I willing has dropped dramatically over the thelast thelast thelast last two years In 2006 there were 27 countries participating in the war in Iraq according to a State Department report Seventeen former members of the coalition have already withdrawn troops completely Among the former fonner supporting nations are Japan Spain Italy Tonga and the Netherlands M nn M The Canyons I will randomly I 1 have two all area ski passes to randomly and give to select one email sent i wont won't help I its sender the tickets Enter only once Emails will be dated March 1 or 2 2007 and must be valid email The winner can winner by return since I will notify the the tickets on Monday March 5 5 at TB on the pick up Globe Gobe 1 the Globe listening Globe listening to Redwood Campus Kepp reading for FREE STUFF i Radio and hitting glob TESORO Job Fair hiring friendly Retail Stores are now Tesoro Customer service oriented individuals for I oj Customer Service Associates Assistant Store Manager Apply online at Tesoro offers 1 medical benefit wages flexible work hour K education reimbursement paid vacations t Poland and South Korea re planning a troop as well South Lorea ores orea is the third largest of troops in ine lie he e war in Iraq numbering The Pentagon reported 71 nore ore US U.S. military service were killed in bringing the total JS fatalities to since he beginning of Operation Freedom With for the war waning imong mong US U.S. citizens and he withdrawal of coalition forces in Iraq more members in Congress are calling alling for an exit strategy from rom President Bush |