Britain 'on course' to hand over Basra base next month: Defence Secretary

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

LONDON (AFP) - Defence Secretary Des Browne said in comments published in the British press on Wednesday that Britain was "on course" to hand over a base in the southern Iraqi city of Basra next month.

Browne also said that a further 500 soldiers would probably be withdrawn from Iraq, on top of the government's commitment to bring back 1,600 troops from the war-torn country, leaving about 5,000 there.

According to The Guardian, he did not, however, describe the move as a certainty, preferring the term "probability".

He also said: "I do not believe we will have 5,000 troops in Iraq and 7,000 in Afghanistan in five years."

In quotes published in The Daily Telegraph, Browne added that it "is not our intention to sustain that level of two medium size operations indefinitely."



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070613/wl_mideast_afp/britainiraqmilitary_070613082831

[hippiechick]

1. ... so they can handle their business and GTF out ...

... but we just can't seem to figure out how to do anything but send more people and money over there?

:wtf:

[Tempest]

2. No where in the article does he say who he'll turn the base over to

The American forces would be my guess.