By IRNA
London : British Defence Secretary Des Browne flew to Basra Wednesday to meet commanders on the ground as uncertainty hung over a plan to withdraw up to 1,600 UK troops from southern Iraq by the spring amid claims of an increase in militia violence.
The Ministry of Defence in London confirmed Browne’s sudden arrival after the Al Iraqiya station broadcast live footage of him attending a business conference, but would say no more than it was a “general visit.”
Last October, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the intention was to reduce the number of UK troops there to 2,500, starting in the spring, but speculation is that the UK may have altered its plans with some 4,100 soldiers still stationed at Basra airport.
Lieutenant-General Bill Rollo, the most senior British officer in Iraq, told the Times newspaper Wednesday that the withdrawal plan hinged on assessments on the ground.
“I am not going to try and anticipate what the final figure will be,” Rollo said. “There is a process that we will go through,” he said when asked whether there was a potential for troops to stay longer, given that it was spring already.
With the Iraqi police and army in charge of security, British forces are largely involved in protecting their base as well as offering surveillance, intelligence and training to the Iraqis.
Browne’s arrival comes after the parliamentary Defence Select Committee reported on Monday that the costs of Britain’s combined military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq this year were likely to double to Pnds