Britain transfers Basra to Iraqi forces
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Britain has transferred responsibility for security in Basra province to Iraqi forces, effectively marking the end of nearly five years of British control of the southern part of Iraq. According to military officials the security situation in Basra is stable. The handover will be the biggest test yet of the Baghdad government’s ability to maintain security without troops from the United States or its main ally. However, a scaled-down British force totalling 2,500 troops will remain in southern Iraq.