By NNN-KUNA
London : Downing Street has insisted that Britain will make its own decisions on when to bring troops home from Iraq.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and US President George W. Bush had a “lengthy” video conference discussion Monday after US Commander General David Petraeus told Congress he believed a drawdown of US troops could begin, Downing Street said Tuesday. The talks were described as “very cordial and constructive”.
Petraeus told Congress that Iraqi security forces continued to “shoulder more of the load” and predicted the US will be able to reduce troop levels by around 30,000 to pre-surge numbers by next summer.
His upbeat report was discussed at the Cabinet Tuesday, after an assessment by British Defence Secretary Des Browne, who had talks with his counterpart at the Pentagon Monday.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We are working very closely with the Americans. The prime minister had a lengthy discussion with President Bush yesterday (Monday) in one of their regular video conferences”.
“We will work very closely with them but our decision on troops in Basra will be based on an assessment on the ground and the readiness of the Iraqi security forces.
“The decision in relation to our troops in Basra will be based on an assessment by our military commanders of the situation on the ground,” he added.
The spokesman insisted, “The general approach being taken by the US and the UK is entirely consistent. Conditions in the south are different from those elsewhere.”
Brown is due to make a statement on Iraq to MPs soon after they return to the House of Commons from their summer break on Oct 8.
The prime minister will be under pressure to announce that the whole of Basra province has been handed over to Iraqi security authorities, meaning more British forces can come home as their role moves from combat to “overwatch”, commentators said.