The British are leaving! The British are leaving! (removing half of troop in Iraq by spring 2008)

Britain to cut Iraq troops to 2,500 by early 2008: Brown

21 minutes ago

LONDON (AFP) - Britain will more than halve the number of its troops in Iraq to 2,500 by next spring, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Monday, in a long-expected statement.

He also announced plans to help local Iraqis who have worked for British forces in the country since the 2003 US-led invasion to settle.

"We plan for next spring to reduce force numbers in southern Iraq to a figure of 2,500," he told parliament's lower House of Commons.

Brown had already announced on a visit to Baghdad last week that there would be 1,000 fewer troops in Iraq by the end of the year, taking troop numbers down to 4,500.

He said Monday that the reduction down to 4,500 would come immediately after Britain hands over control of Basra Province in southern Iraq to the Iraqi forces in the next two months.

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