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<!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://rawstory.com/">rawstory.com/</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>Developing, so no story yet, but <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Bush, Blair plan major Iraq Announcement</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>I don't care what the motives are or if the result is a 90% approval rating for Rat Bush, but I hope they say we are "cutting and running." <p></p><i></i>

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>I don't care what the motives are or if the result is a 90% approval rating for Rat Bush, but I hope they say we are "cutting and running."<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>It'll never happen. The U.S. is there in perpetuity, or until the locals overrun the heavily-fortified permanent bases. <p></p><i></i>

professorpan, you are undoubtedly right. BUt a joint announcement by those two goobers must portend something major. <p></p><i></i>

Any chance that this is one of those deliberate distractions intended to take attention from some other breaking news about to come? <p></p><i></i>

chiggerbit, that is <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>always</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> a possibility. <p></p><i></i>

warning: amateur economic input... <br><br>i always check the dollar vs euro when the static electricity has got our collective hair on end. It's been tanking all day, after a slight recovery late last week, after having tanked all month. Dow tanking too, again. Gold not doing much though. <br><br>CNN quick vote: <br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr><br>Do you think falling share prices are a forerunner to more serious economic turmoil?<br><br>Yes 65% 3576 votes<br>No 35% 1958 votes<br>Total: 5534 votes <hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--> <p></p><i></i>

"Phased Withdrawal"<br><br>Raw has an update:<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Report_Bush_Blair_to_announce_phased_0522.html">www.rawstory.com/news/200..._0522.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>LONDON -- Tony Blair and George Bush will announce that they are to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq at a summit in Washington as early as this week, RAW STORY has learned.<br><br>The process has already been carefully choreographed in an attempt to bolster the popularity of both Bush and Blair who have suffered domestically for their handling of the war.<br><br>The scope of the phased withdrawal, which will see the 133,000 US force levels cut to around 100,000 by the end of the year and British numbers almost halved, has already been agreed, one senior defence source said. <p></p><i></i>

Not exactly a withdrawal, eh? Seems a recipe for disaster for the troops left on the ground.<br><br>As soon as the elections are over, the troops will go right back in, possibly supplemented by a draft.<br><br>As I said in another thread, I wish the troops would just lay down arms and refuse to further cooperate. I know, I know, never gonna happen. <p></p><i></i>

Upon further reflection, I think this "phased withdrawal" sounds a lot like the constant propaganda coming out of the Nixon WH about troop withdrawals that were in reality normal rotations of troops.<br><br>See: <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>Observing the Nixon Years</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> a book of essays by Jonathon Schell. <p></p><i></i>

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>The scope of the phased withdrawal, which will see the 133,000 US force levels cut to around 100,000 by the end of the year <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>and British numbers almost halved</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->, has already been agreed, one senior defence source said.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>The US will 'stay the course' and juggle special forces for quite a while.<br><br>There's a British MP now calling for re-opening the David Kelly murder investigation linked to the 'dodgy dossier,' too. <br><br>Hot times ahead for Blair and the American blogosphere should work to bring it over here as much as possible. <p></p><i></i>