British Presence in Iraq to Decrease

English Prime Minister Gordon Brown today announced that the number of British forces in Iraq will be halved by spring. An article in the Los Angeles Times quoted Brown as saying that the role of the remaining British soldiers will be one of "training and mentoring."

The announcement of the 2,500 troop pullout far exceeds the previously called for 1,000 troop withdrawal and signifies Brown's willingness to significantly cut his country's military involvement in Iraq. According to the Los Angeles Times, Brown plans to switch the role of the British soldiers from one of involvement in active combat to one of "overwatch" with "limited" possibility for "reintervention" later on, such as in spring.

British soldiers have reliably guarded the 200 mile long border between Iraq and Iran, important oil fields and supply lines from Kuwait. Britain has been a strong and helpful ally to the United States throughout the Iraq war.