Basra 'will be handed over to Iraqis by end of year'

[Barrett808]

Source: Belfast Telegraph

Basra 'will be handed over to Iraqis by end of year'
By Andrew Grice

Basra should be handed over to Iraqi control by the end of the year, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the head of Britain's armed forces, has predicted.

The Chief of Defence Staff said he expected a decision to be taken in the next couple of months. "We are very close to being able to hand over Basra in my judgement," he said. "Just when we will reach that point is at the moment uncertain but I am fairly confident it'll be in the second half of the year."

The number of British troops in Iraq has been cut from 7,000 to 5,500 this year and is due by a further 500 when the Army leaves a base in central Basra shortly.

The exit timetable is expected to be discussed by George Bush and Gordon Brown when they hold talks at the President's Camp David retreat this weekend. The Bush administration is under mounting domestic pressure over Iraq but a decision on its next moves may be delayed until a review of its troop "surge" in the Baghdad area is completed in September.

The talks will be their first face-to-face meeting since Mr Brown became Prime Minister a month ago, although they met briefly at the White House in April and have spoken by telephone since Mr Brown succeeded Tony Blair.

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/article2809661.ece

[Greeby]

1. I say pick up the pace, uncle-of-mine nt

[sinkingfeeling]

2. And here I thought Basra belonged to Iraq already.

[Hawkeye-X]

3. What year? 2090? 2350? What?

It doesn't exactly say.

[Roland99]

4. Didn't the British do that like two years ago???

[Tempest]

5. Notice how he didn't say what Iraqis?

Sounds like the Brits are getting ready to cut and run.

[RedEarth]

6. Provided they can keep Sistani from being assassinated