Prince Andrew: Bush Botched Iraq War

(NEWSER) - British troops will begin withdrawing their 4,000 troops from Iraq in March and will have all but a few hundred out by the end of June, the Guardian reports. They will be replaced at their base in Basra not by Iraqis but by Americans, who are worried about keeping supply routes safe from Kuwait. The withdrawal will effectively end Britain's six-year mission in southern Iraq. More»

Iraq strategy called 'bankrupt,’ Rumsfeld roasted

(NEWSER) - Two British officers instrumental to the country’s role in Iraq have lambasted the US strategy there, with one calling the policies “fatally flawed.” The chief of post-war planning and the head of the army during the 2003 invasion took their criticisms to the press this weekend as tension mounts over an anticipated UK withdrawal from Iraq, Agence France-Presse reports. More»

(NEWSER) - The US Military has paid $548M to two British firms over the past three years to protect engineers working on projects in Iraq—nearly doubling its original budget, according to the Washington Post. A swelling insurgency and shortage of troops are driving up the cost of private security for the largely civilian workforce in the war-torn country. More»

New PM walks political tightrope over relations with White House

(NEWSER) - Gordon Brown embarked today for his first call on President Bush, while the press at home speculated on whether the green PM's relationship with his counterpart was cooling or too warm. Brown's predecessor, Tony Blair, had a close relationship with Bush—too close for some UK observers. Iraq, a potential wedge issue, will be on the crowded agenda. More»

New PM will visit Camp David, insists he isn't 'America's poodle'

(NEWSER) - Britain's new Prime Minister is set to meet with President Bush at Camp David next week amid rumors that relations between the two nations have cooled since Tony Blair's departure. Brown is walking a tightrope between rebuffing this speculation and being seen as "America's poodle," an epithet Blair earned for his close collaboration with Bush. More»