British Troops Pull Out of Basra

HUNDREDS of British troops last night withdrew from their last fortified position in the centre of the Iraqi city of Basra.

The 550 soldiers of 1Mechanised Brigade left Basra Palace in an operation that had been planned for weeks.

British Army commanders had hoped to keep the operation secret but it was leaked to a Middle East TV station.

The withdrawal follows months of daily rocket attacks on the British position by Shia insurgents, who now virtually control Iraq’s second city.

The palace has been occupied by UK forces since 2003.

Military spokesman in Basra Major Mike Shearer said: “I can confirm an operation is ongoing but we will not give any further details.”

Military insiders said the withdrawal – which will see the British soldiers join 5000 other personnel at the Basra Contingency base outside the city – was due to take all night.

An insider said: “It has taken a lot of intricate planning to minimise the threat from insurgent ambushes.”

The withdrawal means British troops have now left four main bases in Basra to Iraqi security forces, who have been undergoing intensive training for the handover.

But many commanders fear Iraqi forces are incapable of withstanding the insurgency.

The bitter transatlantic row over Iraq also intensified yesterday. British Major General Tim Cross – the most senior UK officer involved in the post-war planning – said Washington’s policy had been “fatally flawed”.

(c) 2007 Daily Record; Glasgow (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.