Basra palace to be handed back to Iraq after troops pull out

Britain expects to hand over Basra Palace to Iraqi control “in the next few days” after the last UK forces based there began pulling out tonight, the Ministry of Defence said.

The MoD said the handover of Basra itself to the Iraqi authorities was now expected “in the autumn”.

The first contingent of 550 British troops began leaving the palace tonight, in an operation that may last for days.

They will now be located at Basra Air Station with the rest of the 5,000 UK forces in southern Iraq.

The MoD said in a statement tonight: “Handing over Basra Palace to the Iraqi authorities has long been our intention, as we have stated publicly on numerous occasions. We expect the handover to occur in the next few days.

“The Iraqi security forces want to take full responsibility for their own security and the handover is a step towards that goal.

“The decision is an Iraqi-led initiative and is part of a Coalition-endorsed process, developed in consultation with the Iraqi Government, and follows the successful handover of several other bases within and around the city.

“UK forces will now operate from their base at Basra Air Station, and will retain security responsibility for Basra until we hand over to Provincial Iraqi Control, which we anticipate in the Autumn.

“There remain a series of military tasks for our forces to provide in Basra, including further training of the Iraqi Security Forces, which we will conduct while retaining the capability to intervene in support of the ISF should the security situation demand it.”

The pull-out from Basra Palace marks the end of a full-time British presence in the city and is bound to be seen as symbolic.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has come under increasing pressure to announce a timetable for the complete withdrawal of UK troops from Iraq – but has refused to do so.

Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said: “This is not an unexpected move, but the families of the service personnel involved will want to know that every possible precaution has been taken to maximise their safety during this period.

“Our troops must not be put at needless risk to satisfy the political needs of Gordon Brown’s Government, any moves must be based upon the military reality on the ground.”

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said: “The inevitable retreat from central Basra underlines the futility of the continuing British presence in Iraq.

“We have heard from the most senior British military voices their concern about the lack of post-invasion planning.

“Nothing confirms that more than the fact the British troops will now be confined to Basra airport, an area which is impossible to defend and from where they cannot conceivably carry out any useful military function other than training the Iraqi army.”

Basra is the last of five provinces in the UK’s sphere of operations in southern Iraq yet to move to local Iraqi control, with British forces left in an “overwatch” role.

Mr Brown has insisted UK forces will stay in Iraq to fulfil Britain’s obligations to the Government and people there and the United Nations.

But there has been continuing speculation that the coming months could see the first signs of a large-scale UK withdrawal from the country.

Stop the War spokesman Andrew Burgin said: “It is no surprise at all.

“They could not stay in Basra Palace as they were being attacked every day. There is no political or military reasons for them to stay.

“For the good of the troops themselves they should come home immediately.

“Stop the War believes the sooner British troops are withdrawn from Iraq the better.

“The whole military operation has been a disaster, the worst policy disaster for the last 50 years.”

The base at Basra airport is also the headquarters of the multinational force for southern Iraq.

It is plagued by almost daily mortar attacks, and there have been reports that soldiers have complained of the lack of hardened accommodation blocks there designed to withstand blasts.