George Bush is such a winner, all his friends keep bailing out on him. From AP:
Japan will begin withdrawing troops from Iraq in March and complete the pullout by May, ending its largest military mission since World War II, a news report said Tuesday.Returning Samawah to locals... Anyone here have any confidence that this group has clue one about what they are doing over there? I sure don't. Want to know why? Here goes Australia. Headline from The Australian: Troops 'could be home early':
Japan, which extended its noncombat mission to the southern Iraqi city of Samawah for another year in December, will pull its 600 troops out at about the same time British and Australian forces leave the area, Kyodo News agency said.
The extension of the noncombat mission in December gave the government the right to keep troops in Iraq for a year but did not necessarily guarantee that it would.
Officials from Australia, Britain, Japan and the United States reached a basic agreement over the timing of the withdrawals at a secret meeting in London last Monday, Kyodo said. Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force will hand over its camp to local residents after its pullout, according to the report.
AUSTRALIAN soldiers serving in southern Iraq could be coming home as early as next month if Japan proceeds with plans to withdraw its force from the region.So, who is with us now? Anyone? Bueller, Bueller...
New Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said yesterday the Government would look at pulling troops out of Iraq as soon as the Japanese contingent began its withdrawal.
While you were talking last night George, the rest of the world was busy planning how to get out of the mess you dragged them into. And we're going to be left holding the bag.
