British To Hand Control Of Basra To Iraqis Before Christmas

Times Of London (U.K.):

Gordon Brown has announced that Basra, the last Iraqi province under British control, will be handed back within two weeks during a surprise pre-Christmas visit to the troops.

The Prime Minister was speaking after a telephone conversation with Nouri Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister, shortly after arriving in Basra airbase where 4,500 British troops are stationed. It was his second visit to the country as Prime Minister.

Read the whole story: Times Of London (U.K.)

Comments

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

11:40 AM on 12/10/2007

Why isn't what's good for Basra good for Baghdad, let alone ALL of Iraq?

[Harrier]

11:12 AM on 12/10/2007

The British understand the Iraqi culture very well. The deserve excellent praise for the good work they have done

[WilliamWallace]

10:55 AM on 12/10/2007

Merry Christmas.......BOOM!.......Merry, Merry Christmas..........BOOM!

[ResidentChimp]

09:58 AM on 12/10/2007

Now that a Surrender Monkey is the head of Britain, he can't wait to cut and run. It will be interesting to see if this gets him re-elected as he hopes it will.

[researcher]

09:57 AM on 12/10/2007

they going to miss out on all that oil but they have north sea oil.

at least they have the sense to leave an illegal imperialistic war for profits.

americans wake up we have become imperialists and war for profits war mongers.

sad day in america we learned little from nam.

but cheney did ok with this war for profits stance. the industrial military complex will do the same for bush when he leaves.

while the middel class sinks into the have nots.

[fourex]

09:38 AM on 12/10/2007

Well done mates. No reason to stay in the new Iraq democracy. Go home and enjoy the holidays.

[Joeblue]

09:15 AM on 12/10/2007

Make fun of the guy if you want, but at least he's doing the right thing unlike Blair, the always grinning lap dog idiot.

[lochnessmonster]

07:36 AM on 12/10/2007

The guy looks like a drunk Dudley Moore...

[Kalima]

06:46 AM on 12/10/2007

Off topic,sorry.
Putin backs First Deputy Dmiitry Medvedev to succeed
him next year.

http;//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7136347.stm

[Kalima]

06:08 AM on 12/10/2007

Not about Basra or the Brits but a story of one Iraqi
refugee returning to Iraq from Syria.
Sad.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7131848.stm

[godlessclif]

05:53 AM on 12/10/2007

The Brits pulled out of Northern Ireland, Now Iraq.

Next maybe they can get out of Wales. The Welsh hate the Prince of Wales anyway.

[mamacat]

05:28 AM on 12/10/2007

Read an earlier piece that deaths were down 90% overall since they pulled out of the center of Basra.
The piece about the murders of women also points out how the murders didn't start until the coalition came to town. Looks like our presence there has had an amazingly conservative influence. Basra has gone from a cosmopolitan city to a religious backwater, not fit for modern women. Its a good thing the Brits are getting out now, before things get even worse. I mean, the longer we stay, the worse things get, how crazy is that?

[SamEllison]

02:49 AM on 12/10/2007

I did not know Gordon Brown could smile, much less bust one like in that picture.

[ChiGuy]

01:02 AM on 12/10/2007

That's not such great news for the women of Basra.

BAGHDAD - Religious vigilantes have killed at least 40 women this year in the southern Iraqi city of Basra because of how they dressed, their mutilated bodies found with notes warning against "violating Islamic teachings," the police chief said Sunday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071209/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_women_killed