Britons want UK forces out of Iraq

[Nambe]

LONDON (Reuters)

More than 60 percent of Britons believe their government should be withdrawing its troops from Iraq, an opinion poll shows.

A poll for the Daily Mirror tabloid newspaper and television show GMTV asking when British forces should be withdrawn from Iraq, found 29 percent of respondents wanted troops pulled out as soon as possible and 32 percent called for a phased withdrawal, with a final date set for the last soldier to leave.

Prime Minister Tony Blair's embattled government has been put under a harsh spotlight by a judicial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the apparent suicide of Iraq weapons expert Dr David Kelly and public displeasure at the growing number of British servicemen killed in an unstable postwar Iraq. ---

There was more bad news for Blair in the poll, which said the greatest number of respondents held him responsible for Kelly's death compared with other people or organisations mentioned in the press.

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[dudeness]

1. they have from day one nambe..

britons to their credit have led the worldwide anti-war movement..as blairism collapses the voice of the people will only resonate louder..

[pippin]

6. British parliament

Not to mention the fact their members of parliament have had a whole hell of a lot more gumption in standing up to number 10 Downing street than our our congress and senate. The British media--BBC and print news--have also been less slavish in adhering to party lines so the public has been much better informed about events related to Iraq than we have been.

[LauraK]

16. With poodle withering, their voices will be heard...

or the government will change.

[PartyPooper]

2. If the British pull out of Iraq Bush is sunk!

Either he will have to re-instate the draft...or, he will have to go to the UN for another resolution. But, by then, it may be too late.

And, besides, the British move will have a 'ripple effect' among NATO and UN countries. Putin has said he would go into Iraq with a UN resolution...but, what about France and Germany? The dynamics would certainly change if Britain were no longer a participant.

[Journeyman]

3. How utterly sad for our troops. . .

and the Iraqi people. What did any of us do to deserve such abuse by such a small-minded cartel as BushCo? The majority of us certainly didn't vote for him, but that unfortunately won't protect us from their ignorance and greed.

[AP]

7. British troops are less than 10% of troops there, right?

And it seems to me that the British have created a zone of relative safety for Iraqis down river from Baghdad. It's probably very strategically significant in the long run, especially as a counterpoint to US imperialism in the region. I don't think Europe should be so quick to exit and give the US the run of Iraq.

Furthermore, how welcoming is the US going to be to the Guardian's reporting?

[Spentastic]

11. Yes

The British should hand the port of Um Qsar to the French.

That would be funny.

[4dsc]

4. QUAGMIRE!!!!

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure the mess that dubya has created here.. A sad mess indeed!!

DEAN in 2004!!!

[0007]

5. When I read anything by Reuters

and talk of a poll I get leary. Is the Daily Mirror a tabloid newspaper?

This is temperature taking at it's best.

[AP]

8. Yes it's a tabloid. And GMTV is the rough news equivalent of Regis and

Kelly Lee.

[0007]

14. I've noticed infiltration here

just fo rthe purpose of taking the temperature.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

9. Britons know that they were...

lied to and will not take this crap from their Furher! Why can't Americans be this smart!

[sujan]

10. of course they do

but will their government listen?

[T_i_B]

12. Much as I did oppose the war quite vehemently

We now find ourselves in a situation where to withdraw the military would cause even more chaos than is the case now. Parhaps we would even have civil war in Iraq. :scared:

I fully accept that we are responible for creating this mess and like countless others I did as much as I could to stop it. However, the best solution for now IMHO is to get the troops not so much removed, as replaced by the UN. That should be the overwhelming diplomatic priority.

[AP]

15. Iraq, 21st Century, could be like Berlin of 20th Century.

Except, instead of East vs West, it's going to be Europe vs America, and I'm not so sure it's wise for Europe to pull out and leave America to do their imperialist thing alone. It'd be like the West pulling out of Berlin and West Germany in the 40s-80s.

[T_i_B]

13. dupe post

sorry