400 more (British) troops headed to Iraq to train forces (8500 total)

By The Associated Press
Thursday, May 26, 2005

LONDON -- Britain will add 400 more troops in Iraq to step up the training of local security forces, bringing the total British force to 8,500, BBC news reported Wednesday.

The move is part of a routine rotation in which 12 mechanized brigades take over from four armored brigades as the lead British formation in the country, Defense Secretary John Reid announced.

Reid said increased training of Iraqi forces would help them take "ever greater responsibility" for their security.

"The reason for this small increase is in order to allow greater effort to be put into the training, development and monitoring of the Iraqi security forces," Reid said in a written statement for the House of Commons. This will enable them to take on ever greater responsibility for their own security and so pave the way for U.K. troops to withdraw."

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/newssummary/s_338032.html

I remember reading this at DU about a year ago.

What happened?

:-(