Britain plans to pull 1,000 Iraq troops
Updated Tue. Oct. 2 2007 11:28 AM ET The Associated Press
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BASRA, Iraq -- Britain's prime minister announced plans Tuesday to withdraw more than 1,000 troops from Iraq by year's end, and Iraq said it will take over security from British forces in the southern Basra province within two months.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown was on an unannounced visit, which also was to include a session with U.S. Commander David Petraeus before the British leader flies to Basra to meet with his forces and military leaders in the oil-rich region in the deep south of Iraq.
U.S. and Iraqi authorities have aired concerns that a British drawdown could jeopardize the region's rich oil resources and the land supply routes from Kuwait to Baghdad.
But Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said his forces "are prepared to take over security of Basra within two months and we will."
"Basra will be one of the provinces where Iraqi forces will completely take over security," he said after the meeting in his Green Zone office.
Brown confirmed al-Maliki's plans and said, "as we move to overwatch, we can move down to 4,500." Brown, who said he was optimistic the troops would be home by Christmas, spoke at the Green Zone residence of Britain's top commander in Iraq, Gen. Bill Rollo.
The White House said the Bush administration was comfortable with the British withdrawing 1,000 more troops by year's end.
"The Iraq security forces have been working with the British in Basra, and they've been working to get this point where the Iraqis said they are able to take over the security. It seems to me that the British are right on schedule with what they had planned several months ago," White House press secretary Dana Perino said.
"There still are going to be 4,500 British troops in the area right there in Basra and another 1,000 in the region."
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Updated Tue. Oct. 2 2007 11:28 AM ET The Associated Press
Article Link
BASRA, Iraq -- Britain's prime minister announced plans Tuesday to withdraw more than 1,000 troops from Iraq by year's end, and Iraq said it will take over security from British forces in the southern Basra province within two months.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown was on an unannounced visit, which also was to include a session with U.S. Commander David Petraeus before the British leader flies to Basra to meet with his forces and military leaders in the oil-rich region in the deep south of Iraq.
U.S. and Iraqi authorities have aired concerns that a British drawdown could jeopardize the region's rich oil resources and the land supply routes from Kuwait to Baghdad.
But Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said his forces "are prepared to take over security of Basra within two months and we will."
"Basra will be one of the provinces where Iraqi forces will completely take over security," he said after the meeting in his Green Zone office.
Brown confirmed al-Maliki's plans and said, "as we move to overwatch, we can move down to 4,500." Brown, who said he was optimistic the troops would be home by Christmas, spoke at the Green Zone residence of Britain's top commander in Iraq, Gen. Bill Rollo.
The White House said the Bush administration was comfortable with the British withdrawing 1,000 more troops by year's end.
"The Iraq security forces have been working with the British in Basra, and they've been working to get this point where the Iraqis said they are able to take over the security. It seems to me that the British are right on schedule with what they had planned several months ago," White House press secretary Dana Perino said.
"There still are going to be 4,500 British troops in the area right there in Basra and another 1,000 in the region."
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