Further UK troop reductions in Iraq by spring '08

[Dartzap]

Beeb

UK Iraq troops to be cut to 2,500
British troop numbers in Iraq will be reduced to 2,500 from next spring, Gordon Brown has told MPs.

It follows the prime minister's announcement in Iraq last week that UK forces would reduce their numbers from 5,500 to 4,500 by Christmas.

Mr Brown also told MPs that Iraqi interpreters who worked for UK forces for more than 12 months would be able to apply for aid to settle in Britain.

David Cameron said the way he had made the announcements was "a mistake".

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said: "Britain's involvement in Iraq has been a catastrophe."

Iraqi responsibility

Mr Brown made his Commons statement in the wake of intense criticism for his decision to announce the first wave of troop reductions during a flying visit to Baghdad and Basra last week.

He told MPs that Britain was only able to reduce its troop numbers "because the Iraqis are now able to take responsibility for the security themselves".

The handover of the UK-controlled Basra province would be made in "two distinct stages", he said.

It would start with British forces training and mentoring Iraqi security forces, securing supply routes to the Iranian border and being able to provide back-up to local security forces.

In the spring of next year and "guided as always by advice from military commanders" UK troops would retain a more limited ability to intervene by force.

In the first two months of the first stage, troop numbers would reduce from 5,500 to 4,500 and then to 4,000.

It would then fall to around 2,500 with a further decision about the next phase made then.

Promises

Tory leader Mr Cameron reminded Mr Brown that he had pledged, on taking the job as prime minister, to make such announcements to the House of Commons.

"But you didn't. You promised a thousand of our troops would be brought back before Christmas - but isn't it the case that 500 of them had already been announced and 270 of them were already back in the country?" said Mr Cameron.

"I have to say to you this is of a different order of magnitude to what we've had from you over the last decade.



"This is not double counting of government spending. This is not just spinning the good bits of a budget - this is about dealing with people's lives and the families of our brave servicemen."

To cheers, he added: "And do you agree with me that this is just not an acceptable way for a prime minister to behave?"

Mr Brown replied: "This was not the announcement I made in Iraq last week. The announcement I made was what would happen in the next few weeks.

"This is the long term strategy for overwatch which means the numbers of our troops fall from 5,500 to 2,500. There will be an additional 500 troops who will be outside Iraq in the region.

"I make no apologies for visiting our troops in Iraq. The criticism of me would have been if I had come to the House without visiting our troops in Iraq."

Well, those 2000 are going to be feeling a bit lonely....

[Sea Skimmer]

Well they probably will be a little lonely, but they also all operate out of one big base, whereas in much more violent areas further north you have FOBs manned by units of platoon strength or less.