France says Iraq close to partition(calls for US to withdraw troops by 2008)

[maddezmom]

PARIS, March 2 (Reuters) - French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said on Friday sectarian violence was close to tearing Iraq apart and the situation there was destabilising the whole region.

France vocally opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and has called for Washington to announce a date by which it will withdraw its troops from the country.

"We agree on a sad observation. We are close to partition. There is today a situation of regional destabilisation," Douste-Blazy said at a joint news conference with Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani.

"We think that the only solution, we have already said so, is to have a withdrawal by 2008 of the international forces which are in Iraq today and at the same time the restoration of the rule of law," he added.

more:http://mobile.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L02309174.htm

[rodeodance]

1. okey dokey--------i will ask jr. if he wants to leave.

right on it!

[Rydz777]

2. Why wait?

The Iraqis are partitioning themselves, and we are surging around in the middle of a civil war getting more of our troops killed and maimed. The sooner we get out - 2007, not 2008 - the sooner the Iraqis will settle things.