BASRA, Iraq (AFP) — Britain expects to hand over the province of Basra to Iraqi control this autumn, hopefully by the end of November, the British military said on Tuesday.
Military spokesman Major Mike Shearer told AFP that the pull-out of troops from their headquarters at Basra Palace one month ago meant Iraqi forces were already responsible for most of the security in the port city.
"We reduced our operational footprint to allow Iraqi forces to take an increasing lead in policing their own city but we have retained repsonsibility," Shearer said.
"We expect them and the Iraqi government to agree to the transfer of the province this autumn. We would like to think probably the end of November," he told AFP by telephone from Basra.
He confirmed that 250 Royal Hussars from the British force had returned last month leaving British troop levels in Iraq at 5,250.
Britain has already transferred control of three southern province back to the Iraqis -- Maysan, Al-Muthanna and Dhiqar -- and Basra is the final part of their mission.
Shearer said that all indications were that the British training of Iraqi forces was on track for the autumn handover.
"We think we are nearly there," he said, pointing to the fact that the Iraqi commander who has taken over from the British in Basra, General Mohan al-Furayji, had announced a 70 percent reduction of criminal activity in August and September.
"We continue to see the Iraqi security forces take an increasing lead in managing the security in Basra," Shearer said.
"The relative calm demonstrated there is empirical evidence to support the view that the coalition's conditions-based strategy to transfer security responsibilty to Iraqi control is working."
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