Brits to quit Iraq this year

All British forces to be pulled out of Iraq within a year
10th June 2008
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1025422/All-British-
forces-pulled-Iraq-year.html

All British forces are set to be pulled out of Iraq within a year,
it emerged today.

Plans for a phased withdrawal are back on track after a reduction in
violence in Basra over recent months.
Whitehall officials are now working on a new timetable for the move.

Killed in Afghanistan: From left, privates Charles Murray, Nathan
Cuthbertson and Daniel Gamble died on Sunday, taking the British
toll there to 100.

The pull-out of the remaining 4,000 troops serving in Iraq is sure
to be seized on by Labour Ministers as proof that a line has finally
been drawn under Tony Blair's biggest foreign policy disaster.
The withdrawal is expected to be announced by the end of this year
if the security situation remains positive - with the actual
operation taking place sometime next spring.

At the peak of British military activity in Iraq in 2003 there were
26,000 soldiers deployed in the country as part of Operation Telic -
as well as 4,000 marines, 5,000 sailors and 8,100 RAF personnel.

British commanders handed over security responsibility in Basra
province to the Iraqis last December.

Gordon Brown had been hoping to announce the final pull-out earlier
this year, but previous plans to reduce troop numbers to 2,500 were
put on hold in March after a bout of violence dubbed the 'battle of
Basra'.

Coming home: British soldiers patrol the centre of Basra (file
picture)

It is understood that the next announcement on troop numbers - the
latest phased cut in numbers rather than the final withdrawal - will
be made next month to the House of Commons.

On a recent visit to Basra, Defence Secretary Des Browne was able to
walk the streets of what he described as a ' transformed city'.

The Prime Minister first announced last October that troop numbers
in Iraq would be cut from 5,000 to 4,000.

His announcement, at the height of speculation about an autumn
general election, triggered widespread criticism because the move
was seen as being political.

Plans to cut numbers further this spring were put on hold when
British forces became directly involved in fighting between the
Iraqi army and Shia militiamen.

The Defence Secretary said recently that the 'direction of travel'
of the withdrawal remained 'clear' but security had to be maintained
by local forces.

However, any withdrawal of troops could take many months after a
political announcement is made.

Recent secret discussions on the pull-out included Whitehall
advisers, but the Government was refusing to comment fully today.

The Ministry of Defence insisted 'no decisions' had been taken about
withdrawing troops from Iraq and said the suggestion that a final
announcement could be made by the end of the year was 'speculation'.

The Prime Minister's advisers have long hoped that he can gain
a 'peace dividend' from the end of operations in Iraq, focusing
instead on Afghanistan. It will release badly needed resources for
the fight against the Taliban.

Whitehall insiders believe that despite the British death toll
rising to 100 after three members of 2 Para were killed on Sunday,
the battle against the Taliban is potentially an easier war to sell
to the public.

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