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December 2, 2008 11:17:44 AM CST

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After 5 Years, Brits Hand Over Basra to Iraqis

Posted Dec 16, 07 6:16 AM CST in World 

(Newser) – Ending five years of British control in southern Iraq, the UK today handed over authority for the wealthy, populous Basra region to the Iraqi government. Residents greeted the handover with jubilation, but the responsibility for Basra—strategically located, an oil export hub and home of Iraq's only port—will prove a tough test for the Baghdad government, Reuters reports.

Though both locals and British leaders expressed confidence in the Iraqi police and troops in the region, Basra has been troubled recently by bloody factional skirmishes between rival Shiite groups, criminals and smugglers. British forces attempted to pull out of the southern provinces last year, but were unable to do so because deadly attacks escalated as they withdrew.

Source Reuters

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Iraqi army soldiers watch as a British military helicopter descends during the opening ceremony of a new Iraqi army division headquarters in Basra, Iraq, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2007. British Defense Secretary...   (Associated Press)
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown laughs with troops as he makes a surprise visit to soldiers stationed at Basra Air Station in Iraq, Sunday Dec. 9, 2007. Brown announced that control of the Basra...   (Associated Press)
A British soldier secures the perimeter during the opening ceremony of a new Iraqi army division headquarters in Basra, 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2007....   (Associated Press)
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown laughs with troops as he makes a surprise visit to soldiers stationed at Basra Air Station in Iraq, Sunday Dec. 9, 2007. Brown announced that control of the Basra...   (Associated Press)
Two Iraqi policemen inspect the damage to a car after a failed assassination attempt on a senior politician in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad, Thursday,...   (Associated Press)
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Iraq • Iraq pullout • Basra • British troops • British military • Iraq violence


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