ATimetable for Withdrawal? Or Electioneering Lies?

Jack Straw, the UK Foreign Secretary, says British and American troops will be withdrawn steadily from Iraq starting next year and are likely to be completely out of the country within five years:

"The progressive run-down of forces is likely to happen next year," he said. "As to the pace, I cannot say until later this year but over the next parliament British troops will be down to virtually nothing."

Yeah, right. So here's the logic: Brits should re-elect Tony Blair so that he can step down, while supporting a war so that it can end. And if that's not fuzzy enough for you:

[Straw] admitted that "quite a lot of people are angry about Iraq" in Blackburn but hoped his constituents would recognise his efforts to avert a looming war between India and Pakistan in 2002.

So vote for us because we helped stop another war that didn't happen but might have, maybe... and let's not talk about who is selling military weapons to India and Pakistan, which is still run by a military dictator.

And from the same article, more lies exposed:

President George W Bush this week claimed that Iraqi troops now outnumbered their American counterparts but it was questioned by Iraq's interior ministry yesterday.

"We are paying about 135,000 (members of the security services) but that does not necessarily mean that 135,000 are actually working," said Sabah Kadhum, the ministry's spokesman. There are about 140,000 American soldiers in Iraq.

According to Iraqi officials, "ghost soldiers" could account for as many as 50,000 of those officially on the security forces' payroll. The discrepancy is largely explained by deserters and by corruption.

Don't believe the hype.