Hitz Radio - News - UK troops 'to withdraw by spring'

The majority of British troops serving in Iraq will be withdrawn in the next nine months, according to reports.

A newspaper revealed that only a few hundred would remain after spring 2009 compared to around 4,000 currently serving in the country.

But a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that, while it was hoped that the UK's military presence in Iraq would "decrease significantly", it was too early to put accurate numbers on any withdrawal.

And he added that conditions on the ground and the requests of coalition partners and Iraq's government would need to be taken into account.

The newspaper quoted Major General Barney White-Spunner, who has just returned from a six-month tour in southern Iraq, as saying that Prime Minister Gordon Brown's stated intention for a "fundamental mission change" would be able to "take place next year".

Last month the Mr Brown told MPs: "We will continue to reduce the number of British troops in Iraq. Of course, future decisions will be based - as I have always said - on the advice of our military commanders on the ground."

He added: "But just as last year we moved from combat to 'overwatch', we would expect a further fundamental change of mission in the first months of 2009."

The MoD spokesman insisted this was still the case, saying: "Although it is hoped that the UK military presence in Iraq will decrease significantly in the future, it is still too early to discuss the size and shape of a reduced UK forces footprint.

"In his statement to the House of Commons on July 22, the Prime Minister set out our intent to make a fundamental change to the UK mission in Iraq in the first months of 2009.

"As ever, this will be based on conditions on the ground, the plans of our coalition partners and the military contribution requested of us by the government of Iraq under a long-term bilateral relationship.

"As a key coalition partner, the US is intimately involved with the development of our future plans.

"And, as General Petraeus stressed in recent his interview with The Times, the US is fully supportive of the UK's current position on Iraq and of our proposals for Iraq's future."

Source: ITN.co.uk

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