Majority of British forces to leave Iraq over next nine months

THE majority of British troops serving in Iraq will be withdrawn in the next nine months, it was reported.

Only a few hundred of the 4000 currently serving in the country would remain after spring 2009.

But a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said that, while it was hoped that the UK's military presence in Iraq would "decrease significantly", it was too early to put accurate numbers on any withdrawal.

And he added that conditions on the ground and the requests of coalition partners and Iraq's government would need to be taken into account.

Major General Barney White-Spunner, who has just returned from a six-month tour in southern Iraq, said that Prime Minister Gordon Brown's stated intention for a "fundamental mission change" would be able to "take place next year".

Last month Mr Brown told MPs: "Just as last year we moved from combat to 'overwatch', we would expect a further change in the first months of 2009."

The MoD spokesman insisted this was still the case, saying: "Although it is hoped that the UK military presence in Iraq will decrease significantly in the future, it is still too early to discuss the size and shape of a reduced UK forces footprint."