UK troops begin withdrawal from Iraq
UK troops begin withdrawal from Iraq
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Tuesday, 31, Mar 2009 06:36
British troops have begun their withdrawal from Iraq as military command in the south of the country is passed onto US forces.
Major General Andy Salmon formally handed over authority in the south of Iraq over to US Major General Michael Oates today as part of the agreed terms of the withdrawal from the region.
Of the 4,000 British troops currently stationed in the country, the majority are due to leave by May 31st, leaving around 400 to continue training up Iraqi security forces.
Since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, 179 British personnel have been killed in fighting, as UK forces sought to bring stability to southern regions and the city of Basra.
Maj Gen Salmon, Britain's most senior commander in Iraq, is set to return to the UK later this week after handing over military command to the United States forces.
Admitting the campaign in Iraq had had both "ups" and "downs", he declared the transferral of authority to the US military marked a "successful conclusion to a long campaign".
"I can put my hand on my heart and say we've finished this right," he said.
On the day the UK relinquished Coalition Command in Basra, the Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "This is a further step forward in the UK's work in Iraq. I am proud of the job British troops have done and continue to do there. 2009 will see the end of the UK's combat mission and the transition to a new broad-based relationship between Britain and Iraq.
"There have been difficult times along the way, but British troops have made an outstanding contribution to laying the ground for a stable and increasingly prosperous Basra - part of a stable, secure and prosperous Iraq.
"I look forward to deepening and broadening our bilateral relations with Iraq in the months ahead including through receiving the Iraqi president in London at the end of April. May I once again thank every member of the British armed forces who has served in Iraq for their outstanding service."