LONDON: Only days before he is to meet in London with Senator Barack Obama, Prime Minister Gordon Brown outlined a tentative plan on Tuesday for withdrawing most of Britain's remaining troops from Iraq early in 2009. Brown told Parliament that Britain planned a "fundamental change of mission" at the turn of the year for the 4,100 troops it has in its Iraq contingent, the second largest group of foreign troops serving in Iraq. About 140,000 Americans will be deployed there after current American troop withdrawals are completed. The prime minister gave no fixed timetable for British withdrawals, and left open the number of troops who would be returning home. He also said troop reductions would depend on the "advice of our military commanders on the ground" when detailed decisions are made. A spokesman at 10 Downing Street said the British leader was reluctant to give details because of a recognition that security conditions could deteriorate in southern Iraq, where most of the British soldiers are based. But Defense Ministry officials said the aim was to withdraw most of the troops in the first half of 2009, if the security improvements of recent months are sustained. They said more details would be announced in the fall by the defense minister, Desmond Browne. Current British troop strength in Iraq is a fraction of the force of more than 40,000 troops who took part in the invasion of 2003. Britain has 8,000 troops in Afghanistan, and has said that it intends to concentrate on its future combat role there.
LONDON: Only days before he is to meet in London with Senator Barack Obama, Prime Minister Gordon Brown outlined a tentative plan on Tuesday for withdrawing most of Britain's remaining troops from Iraq early in 2009.
Brown told Parliament that Britain planned a "fundamental change of mission" at the turn of the year for the 4,100 troops it has in its Iraq contingent, the second largest group of foreign troops serving in Iraq. About 140,000 Americans will be deployed there after current American troop withdrawals are completed.
The prime minister gave no fixed timetable for British withdrawals, and left open the number of troops who would be returning home. He also said troop reductions would depend on the "advice of our military commanders on the ground" when detailed decisions are made. A spokesman at 10 Downing Street said the British leader was reluctant to give details because of a recognition that security conditions could deteriorate in southern Iraq, where most of the British soldiers are based.
But Defense Ministry officials said the aim was to withdraw most of the troops in the first half of 2009, if the security improvements of recent months are sustained. They said more details would be announced in the fall by the defense minister, Desmond Browne. Current British troop strength in Iraq is a fraction of the force of more than 40,000 troops who took part in the invasion of 2003. Britain has 8,000 troops in Afghanistan, and has said that it intends to concentrate on its future combat role there.
