Brown Makes Surprise Announcement: Britain To Hand Over Basra In Two Weeks
This just came up as a flash on the Agencie France Presse wires:
Britain will hand over Basra province to Iraqi control within two weeks, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said during a surprise trip there Sunday, his Downing Street office said.
Addressing troops in the southern Iraqi city, Brown said that Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was recommending “a move to provincial Iraqi control within two weeks”, a spokesman in London said.
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Okay, maybe it’s just me, but how many times can the Brits hand over Basra. I’m sure they have done it a couple of times. Could be wrong of course.
December 9th, 2007 at 2:13 pmLast i heard they had backed out into an operating base of some sort. I guess thats an equivelant to handing it over. Anyone think the Iraqis are ready to handle full provinces yet? not sure i like this idea
December 9th, 2007 at 3:09 pmThis is the place where they keep finding dead women in the streets . . .
December 9th, 2007 at 4:07 pmIt is no wonder you are confused. The medias reporting of the changes in role and posture for the British troops in Basra has in the main been absolutely appalling.
Operations in Basra Province didn’t end in August when most of the media said it did. All that happened was a FOB that was extremely badly sited was handed over to the Iraqi Army and the troops repositioned at Basra air base, operations continued but the Iraqi Army took the lead on all operations in the City itself.
What has happened now is that the Iraqis have said they are ready to take the lead in the whole province. The British will still be at the airport ready to help them if they need it.
As to the comment about the Iraqis not being ready to take over whole provinces yet, they seem to be doing fine in the four provinces they already have complete control over.
December 9th, 2007 at 4:44 pmThe Sunnis are sick of sharia. The Kurds never liked it in the first place. But the Shi’a…
December 9th, 2007 at 9:39 pm