In the Iraqi news:
Weird!? For some bizarre reason this news didn't make any headlines in the US today.
Hmm.
The text:
Baghdad, Jun 16, (VOI) - U.S. President George Bush on Monday announced the withdrawal of 30,000 troops next July, highlighting that any further withdrawal of the troops will depend on the security conditions in the country.
This came during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London.
The U.S. president linked any further withdrawal of U.S. forces with the improvement of Iraqi forces’ capabilities and their abilities to bear more responsibilities, as well as the economic improvement and more progress regarding political reconciliation.
“This strategy aims at handing Iraqis more responsibilities,” Bush said.
For his part, Brown denied any impact of the political argument on his government’s stance.
“There is a work to do in Iraq and we will continue our work,” Brown added, stressing that he would not outline any time table for British forces withdrawal.
He highlighted that his forces realized more progress in Iraq as well as the Iraqi forces. Reports have been circulated over possible British withdrawal from Iraq by the end of 2008. Brown also said during a press conference last week that he will deliver a speech on British forces' deployment in Iraq before the parliament's recess.
The British forces in the oil-rich port city of Basra, 590 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, keep 4,100 troops within the MNF in Iraq after withdrawing more than half of its forces.
Britain was the United States' prime ally in the March 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Ceremonies to hand over security responsibilities in Basra province from the British forces to the Iraqi authorities took place at the Basra International Airport in December 2007.
Apparently, as General Petraus' strategy has succeeded over time, the mainstream media has reduced it's coverage of the war by 92%. Can't be reporting good news on the war now can we?
Even the Associated Press wonders:
Signs are emerging that Iraq has reached a turning point. Violence is down, armed extremists are in disarray, government confidence is rising and sectarian communities are gearing up for a battle at the polls rather than slaughter in the streets.
Those positive signs are attracting little attention in the United States, where the war-weary public is focused on the American presidential contest and skeptical of talk of success after so many years of unfounded optimism by the war's supporters.
The AP blames the lack of public attention on the public itself. As if the public sent a petition to the AP telling them "please embargo all information about any American/coalition victories in Iraq, we'd just really rather not know. Oh, PS, more Haditha and Abu Ghraib, yes please!"
BTS