UK not expected to transfer power in Basra until next year
Iraq-USA, Politics, 7/18/2006

The British government expects that the responsibility of security will be handed back to Iraqi forces in all four provinces controlled by UK troops by the end of 2007.

"We anticipate that in the next six months we will transfer three of the four provinces that are the responsibility of the United Kingdom in MND South-East, leaving only Basra," Defence Minister Lord Drayson said.

Drayson said that his government "recognize the challenges in Basra," but indicated that the security situation had improved by the introduction of the new Basra security plan.

"We must be patient and allow the results to bed down and take effect," he said.

Last week, British troops in proceeded with the hand over of the southern province of Mutthana to Iraqi authority as the first test case of the eventual withdrawal plans by the UK.

The sparsely populated province was chosen as the first due to the relatively few attacks in Al Muthanna, which fell from five in January to just four in April, according to the latest published British figures.

But over the same period, attacks in Maysan increased from 8 to 23, while in Dhi Qar, where the hand over has also apparently been delayed, the number grew from two to five in the first four months of this year.

The greatest concern is over Basra, where the number of attacks on British troops increased from 21 in January to 71 in April, accounting for more than two-thirds of the total.

The defense minister was cautious when asked what the number of British troops was likely to be and what would be the spread of their role at the end of the 18-month transition period.

"It is not possible for me to set out specific numbers. As I have said, it depends on the development of conditions. We have set out our expectations of the timetable, which depends on the conditions on the ground," he said.

Drayson said that the UK government generally wanted British troops to "carry out a strategic overwatch role and then to withdraw to provinces where hand over has not taken place" once there had been a transition of authority.

The British government has been under growing pressure to reduce its troop levels in Iraq due to fears of a civil war erupting and the burden placed on the UK's already over stretched armed forced, with added deployments in Afghanistan.

Previous Stories:
  Iraqi forces take over Muthanna province   (7/14/2006)
  No US soldier immune from prosecution for criminal acts   (7/7/2006)
  White House disagrees on Iraq withdrawal Congressional debate   (7/5/2006)
  Iraq war blamed for resignation of thousands of UK reservists   (6/15/2006)
  Iraq war made world more dangerous, say most Britons   (6/15/2006)
  Time to withdraw UK troops from Iraq, say families   (6/10/2006)

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