A British soldier looks at a boy pretending to be a soldier holding a weapon during a patrol in Basra, 420 km (260 miles) southeast of Baghdad in this November 25, 2008 file photo. For the first time since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iraqis could be seeing election candidates kissing babies and canvassing neighbours when a new polling system comes into force in January 2009. (Atef Hassan/Reuters)From Yahoo News/Reuters:
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain will start withdrawing most of its more than 4,000 troops from Iraq in March and plans to leave only 400 personnel by mid-2009, British newspapers reported Wednesday.
The newspapers, all quoting an unnamed senior defense source, said a force of several thousand U.S. troops would replace the British troops and move into their base at the airport on the outskirts of the southern Iraqi city of Basra.
Plans were now well advanced for the withdrawal of Britain's 4,100 troops even though a so-called "status of forces" agreement had yet to be reached with the Iraqi government, said the Times.
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My Comment: The Iraqis clearly do not want them in their country anymore.