The number of British troops in Iraq will be almost halved by the end of the year, Tony Blair will announce today. | 1,500 of the 7,000 UK servicemen and women in southern Iraq are due to return within two months. A further 1,500 are expected to pull out by Christmas. |
Mr Blair's announcement, either during Prime Minister's Questions or in a Commons statement, comes four days after he proclaimed the success of Operation Sinbad in securing Basra, which he said would pave the way for a handover to Iraqi forces. He said: "It is absolutely true, as we have said for months, that as the Iraqis are more capable down in Basra of taking control of their security, we will scale down. But you have to make sure you have sufficient forces in support."
| Although Mr Blair said there is no division with the White House on the issue, the move will increase the pressure on President George Bush, who faces deepening hostility among the American public to the war. |
Mr Bush said that Britain's withdrawal was "a sign of success" in Iraq, saying that he was "grateful for the support of the British forces in the past and into the future". He added: "We want to bring our troops home as well. It's the model we want to emulate, to turn over more responsibility to Iraqis and bring our troops home."
It is planned that the 1,500 British troops due to return during April when their tour of duty ends will not be replaced. Another 1,500 will withdraw from the Basra frontline to barracks to prepare for their departure by December. The beginning of the handover was signalled yesterday when the Iraqi Army division in Basra left Coalition command. It is now taking orders from its army headquarters in Baghdad.