Barry,

The two paragraphs cannot be separated the first Mandate limited the period to December 2005, the Security Council Meeting in November 2005 extended the Mandate period to December 2006. The Mandate automatically expires if the Iraq Government tells the troops to leave and the current Mandate (i.e the one that runs until December this year has to be reviewed by the UN Security Council in June).

I would assume that the reason the Mandate was extended was down to the prospect of the UN having to take over the MNF's role if the original December 2005 deadline had been adhered to.

Foolestroupe,

"UK forces are present in Iraq at the request of the duly elected Government of Iraq "

Why did you leave out and drop - "and also under UN Mandate." Not convenient for the rather illogical point that you are trying to make.

There was not a puppet Government in France as such. After their defeat in 1940 France was spilt in two. There was German occupied part that contained all the areas that Germany saw as being strategically important and Vichy France that was made up of the remainder and which the Germans viewed as being a waste of manpower and materials to effectively govern or control. Vichy France lasted until 11th November 1942 when the Germans invaded during Case Anton, triggered by the successful Allied Torch Landings. After Anton Vichy officials remained in place to administrate but had no real power, in German occupied France they never had any say whatsoever.