Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Wednesday confirmed to
the visiting British Defense Secretary Des Browne that the Iraqi
security forces are ready to take over security responsibility of
the southern province of Basra from the British forces.
"Our forces are ready to face challenges and hunt down armed
groups and terrorists," a statement from Maliki's office quoted him
as saying.
The British troops, which now stand at about 5,500, are largely
deployed around an airport in Basra, some 550 km south of Baghdad,
which is the second largest city in Iraq and a major hub for Iraq's
oil industry.
Maliki also pledged that "the national reconciliation project
will continue despite difficulties and obstacles made by some
people."
For his part, Browne asserted his country's support to the Iraqi
government and its desire to continue cooperation to achieve
security and stability in the country, mainly in Basra, according
to the statement.
"We will cooperate in achieving security and stability in Iraq
and especially in Basra which is witnessing progress," Browne was
quoted as saying.
According to media reports, a British military spokesman in
southern Iraq said that Browne, who arrived in Basra late on
Tuesday, discussed with the British Commander in southern Iraq,
Major-General Jonathan Shaw, the handover of the security in Basra
to Iraqis.
On Monday, during a celebration of security handover of the holy
Shiite city of Karbala, 110 km south of Baghdad, Maliki promised
that the security of Basra would also be handed over to Iraqis by
mid December.
"Today is Karbala and in mid December there will be Basra, and
so on. Our march will carry on escalating by the determination of
our armed and security forces," Maliki said.
So far, only eight of Iraq's 18 provinces have been transferred
to Iraqi security forces from the Multi National Forces. They are
Karbala, Maysan, Muthanna, Dhi Qar and Najaf in the central and
southern Iraq, along with the three northern Kurdish provinces of
Arbil, Duhuk and Sulaimaniyah.
(Xinhua News Agency November 1, 2007)
