01/04/2008

British Troop Withdrawal From Iraq 'Unlikely'

The Defence Secretary Des Browne is expected to tell the Commons that there are currently no plans to reduce the number of British troops in Iraq.

Ambitious plans to decrease the number of soldiers from 4,100 may have been withdrawn, sparked by recent fighting in Basra, the BBC has reported.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said last October that he hoped to cut troops in the southern Iraqi city to 2,500 by spring.

British forces took control of Basra in 2003. Last autumn, they withdrew from the city to the airport. Control of security in the country was handed over to Iraqi forces in December.

(DS/KMcA)


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