Top Military Brits Bash US

UK ready to hand over city to Iraq army

(NEWSER) - British troops yesterday began pulling out of the center of Basra as they prepared to hand over control of the southern port city to the Iraqi army. A small UK force of about 500, which had been headquartered in Saddam Hussein's former palace, moved to Basra's airport, reports the Guardian. Britain's other Basra bases have already been abandoned. More»

(NEWSER) - British troops will begin withdrawing their 4,000 troops from Iraq in March and will have all but a few hundred out by the end of June, the Guardian reports. They will be replaced at their base in Basra not by Iraqis but by Americans, who are worried about keeping supply routes safe from Kuwait. The withdrawal will effectively end Britain's six-year mission in southern Iraq. More»

(NEWSER) - British troops called Iraqi detainees "apes," beat them so that their moans of pain sounded like an "orchestrated choir," and forced them to dance like Michael Jackson, a public inquiry into the death of one of the detainees heard yesterday. The inquiry panel was told that Baha Mousa, a hotel worker, died from 93 injuries inflicted over 36 hours in British custody during the 2003 incident, the Telegraph reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Britain officially ended its combat operations in Iraq today, lowering the flags of its armored brigade and turning over control of its Basra base to US troops, the Guardian reports. “The role of British ground forces is finished,” a defense official confirmed. “Today, Iraq is a success story,” added Gordon Brown, after a meeting with Nouri al-Maliki in London. “Britain can be proud of our legacy that we leave there.” More»

Maliki's party wins 38% of Baghdad vote, 37% in Basra

(AP) - Allies of Iraq's prime minister finished first in races for ruling councils in Baghdad and eight other provinces, official results from last weekend's election show. Nouri al-Maliki's party won 38% of the vote in Baghdad, the election commission said. His party was followed by allies of anti-US cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and a Sunni party, with 9% each. More»