*Thus Spake: *G* *O* *D* *S* *C* *R* *E* *A* *T* *O* *R**
*

*
/**Troops will be out of Iraq in 16 months, Blair tells Commons**/

*By Toby Helm, Chief Political Corresponde**nt*
*(Filed: 19/10/2006)*


* Tony Blair set a 16-month limit for keeping British troops in Iraq
yesterday
as he admitted for the first time that they would be a "provocation" if
they
stayed too long.

Under mounting pressure from senior military and political figures
to offer
an end date to the allied presence, he told MPs at Prime Minister's
Questions
that to withdraw before "the job is done" would be "disastrous".

David Cameron reduced Tory support for the Government and accused him
of hiding the truth about Iraq but Mr Blair moved to reassure MPs that
troops
would be out by early 2008.

It was British policy to "withdraw progressively" when Iraq's own
security forces
were able to take over.

Quoting from a statement by Gen George Casey, the US coalition
commander,
Mr Blair said: "I don't have the date but I can see over the next 12 to
18 months
the Iraqi security forces progressing to a point where they can take on
the security
responsibilities for the country.*
* ---> **
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/10/19/nirq19.xml**
---> *
*
God's Creator! *
(*I don't forgive *****!) 8-) *

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