Straw: Troops could leave Iraq in two years
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said that British troops could leave Iraq within the next two years.
British has the second largest contingent of troops – after America – in Iraq, and has repeatedly said it would only pull troops out when Iraq can take full responsibility for its own security.
But several other countries have announced plans to pull out their troop deployment in Iraq in the coming months.
Mr Straw said he didn’t expect a withdrawal in 2005.
“There will plainly be the right time and I hope it will be some time next year or the year after,’ he told ITV’s Jonathan Dimbleby’ show.
“We are already rebuilding the Iraqi security forces. They have taken over security in many regions of the country.
“When the Iraqi government says to us `We want you to go,’ we will go and I think it will be some time in the next two years.”
The Bush administration insists there is no exit strategy for withdrawing its 180,000 strong forces from Iraq and will stay the course until deemed unnecessary by a sovereign government.
