Iraq: For the Times They Are a-Changin'

"The United States and the United Kingdom have stood together since September the 11th, 2001, in order to combat this new form of global terrorism that we face... We have to complete our mission in Iraq, make sure that Iraq is a stable and a democratic country."

--British Prime Minister Tony Blair, comments at The White House, Nov. 12, 2004

"Prime Minister Blair is a visionary leader. I've come to know him as a man of unshakeable convictions. America's alliance with Great Britain has never been stronger, and we're working closely every day to spread that freedom that leads to peace... The United States and Great Britain have shown our determination to help Iraqis achieve their liberty and to defend the security of the world. We'll continue to stand with our friends, and we will finish the job."

--President Bush, comments at The White House, Nov. 12, 2004

"We plan, from next spring, to reduce force numbers in southern Iraq to a figure of 2,500."

--British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (Blair's successor), statement to parliament, House of Commons, Oct. 8, 2007

"The British troop pullout from Iraq announced yesterday leaves Basra, Iraq's second largest and most strategically important city, in near total chaos both politically and militarily. It comes at a time when at least four Shia militias are fighting over the city, which is surrounded by most of the nation's tremendous oil reserves and provides Iraq's only gateway to the sea."

--Timothy Phelps, reporting in Newsday, Oct. 9, 2007

The arc of events does not bode well for Bush's vision of Iraq. At the peak of the war in 2003, Britain had 46,000 troops in Iraq. But as the U.S. increased its forces over the past year, Britain has been scaling further back. Brown, of course, fears that if he doesn't get British troops out of an unpopular war, his Labour party risks losing the next election.

--By Scott MacLeod/Cairo