British defense secretary to delay planned withdrawal of UK troops from Iraq

[Barrett808]

Source: Associated Press

LONDON (AP) - British troops will not be pulled out of Iraq as planned, due to a recent surge of violence there, defense officials said Tuesday.

Defense Secretary Des Brown will inform lawmakers in the House of Commons on Tuesday that the scheduled withdrawal of some 1,500 British troops was on hold, officials said.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said late last year that the number of British forces would be reduced to 2,500 starting in the spring, if commanders approve the plan.

Britain has about 4,000 troops stationed at an air base on the fringe of the southern Iraqi city of Basra. Forces withdrew from the city center late last year and have since focused only on training Iraqi troops and police.

But a surge in violence that has swept Baghdad, Basra and other Shiite areas has forced British troops back into a combat role, and has led British military chiefs to reconsider the pullout.

Read more: http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=WORLD&ID=565272865277346681

[LynnTheDem]

1. So them "combat operations" aren't quite as "over" as Georgie declared

three years ago.