Teribus---"If after the Dec.15 elections the government of Iraq insists that all foreign troops leave Iraq, that request will be complied with as rapidly as possible"
Ah, yes--now there is a statement worthy of any devious politician!"---as rapidly as possible"---maybe after a few years,--- a few dozen years? Or as soon as the "right " Iraqis have been supplied and trained in the use of their very own tanks, missiles, etc.? The catastrophic descent into civil strife which is now adding to the bloodshed and misery which has inevitably followed military occupation
makes the presence of such a force essential. Are we to understand that there will indeed be a well equipped, well armed government controlled army? No, Teribus---you know the answer to that as well as any of us. "Coalition" forces may well withdraw---into fortress-like bases within the borders of Iraq.

What relevance the strength of British presence in Northern Ireland and Germany has with regard to anything I have said about Iraq escapes me; and since I cannot claim to have second sight, I suggest that we wait and see what the real Tories will do. If they do manage to out-Tory Tony and oust the back-bench labour/liberal/nationalist strength from the commons benches, I suspect-as I'm sure you do, that policies will change fairly radically.
"---and on the 15th of December the Sunni population will come out and vote, in spite of threats from the terrorists" --and of U.S. assaults on their 'terrorist havens" for a couple of weeks before the elections? Or perhaps that won't happen this next time-----