British troops are to be pulled out of the southern Iraqi desert province of Muthana and the responsibility for security handed over to Iraqi forces and civilian control.
The move, announced today by Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister, is the first step towards the ‘Iraqi-isation’ of all 18 provinces in Iraq.
“Muthana province will be the first province where this plan with start and this is proof that our forces are capable of dealing with the security file. That security file will be transferred next month, God willing, and we will set the day,” Mr al-Maliki said after a meeting with the Japanese ambassador to Iraq.
Australia and Japan, who also have troops stationed in Muthana, will also be withdrawing their forces. Japan has about 600 troops in Samawah, the capital of Muthana, carrying out humanitarian work. Junichiro Koizumi, the Japanese Prime Minister, is expected to announce tomorrow that the entire Japanese contingent will be withdrawn.
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Australia has some 450 troops in Samawah, used to guard the Japanese contingent which is banned from military operations by Japan’s postwar constitution. Britain has about 170 troops in the province.
The desert province is one of four in the British area of responsibility around Basra. Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, has said that Maysan province, where Britain has around 1,000 troops, would be the next to be handed over.
Visiting Baghdad today, Mr Browne told BBC Radio 4’s The World At One: “It’s an important day for Iraq and a very important day for the UK as well as an important day for the region and for the people of Muthana province.
“We have been anticipating this day for some time when the Iraqi government was able to announce they could take over control of a province and we could agree that their forces were ready to do that.
“What it does is it begins the process which will eventually lead to our ability to draw down our forces in Iraq. We should recognise this for what it is and neither over-blow it or under-play it.”
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Under the handover, the British troop contingent would be pulled out and redeployed elsewhere in the south.
No 10 stressed that the handover would not mean that the 150 UK troops deployed in that province would be brought home.
Tony Blair’s official spokesman said: “I welcome the announcement today by the Iraqi prime minister that the Iraqis are taking over full control of Muthana province. That means they are taking control of civil institutions as well as the security responsibility.
“It doesn’t mean that the Australian, Japanese and small number of British troops that are there will pull out by tomorrow but it does mean there’s a gradual transition to the Iraqis taking full control.”
Mr Blair’s spokesman went on: “It is a significant step on the way to Iraq taking control of its own destiny and therefore we welcome it.”
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John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister, confirmed that his country’s troops would also stay in southern Iraq after the Japanese forces they are currently guarding leave, switching to a role providing back-up to Iraqi security forces. “We would continue to see a role, albeit a somewhat different role, for our forces in southern Iraq,” Mr Howard told reporters.