Rice says Iraq coalition 'remains intact'
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today said that despite Britain’s decision to pull some troops from Iraq, “the coalition remains intact”.
Speaking after meetings with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Ms Rice said that the British decision to pull some 1,600 troops from Iraq in the coming months was consistent with the US plan to turn over more control to Iraqi forces when possible.
“The British have done what is really the plan for the country as a whole, which is to transfer security responsibility to the Iraqis as the situation permits,” Ms Rice said.
“The coalition remains intact and, in fact, the British still have thousands of troops deployed in Iraq.”
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Britain would withdraw about 1,600 troops from Iraq over the coming months and aimed to cut its 7,100 troop levels to below 5,000 by late summer.
