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British forces to begin rapid Iraq pullout by May 31: Brown
London (AFP) Dec 18, 2008 British forces are to begin a rapid withdrawal from Iraq by May 31 next year, with most of them out of the country by the end of July, Prime Minister Gordon Brown told lawmakers Thursday. "The fundamental change of mission... will take place at the latest by May 31, 2009," Brown said in parliament following a trip to the region. "At that point we will begin a rapid withdrawal of our troops, taking the total from just under 4,100 to under 400 by July 31. The majority of those remaining troops will be dedicated to naval training," he added. The timetable is in line with a bill approved by the Iraqi cabinet calling for all foreign troops except for US forces to end their missions by the end of May and pull out definitively by the end of July. Brown said Britain had made "substantial progress" with the Iraqi government in recent weeks in negotiating an agreement to provide a legal basis for British troops in the country after a UN mandate for their deployment expires on January 1, 2009. He said Iraqi lawmakers began considering those proposals on December 16, and added that he expected a law would be passed on the issue before the new year. Most of Britain's 4,100 troops in Iraq are based near the southern Iraqi city of Basra. British forces formed the second biggest contingent of troops in the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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