THOUSANDS of British troops in Iraq are to return home in May, the News of the World can exclusively reveal.
BRITAIN will hand control of Basra province to the Iraqi army and police within months.
THE remainder of British forces in Iraq will withdraw to their permanent base at Basra International Airport.
The decision to scale down Britain's military presence will be announced at the end of the current crackdown on rebel militias taking place in Basra.
Thousands of British troops are involved in operations with the Iraqi army against rogue police units, local militias and al-Qaeda groups. But once that is is finished large scale military patrols will end.
Talks
That operation, part of the American "surge" against al-Qaeda and Iraqi militia, is due to finish in the next fortnight.
The Americans are about to send another 21,000 troops to the region. The decision to withdraw came after Mr Blair held talks with Defence Secretary Des Browne.
The pair decided the withdrawal could take place during the next "rotation" of troops.
A senior Whitehall source revealed: "The situation in Basra has reached a stage where troop withdrawals are now possible.
"Things are not getting any safer, but they are also not getting any worse. It is therefore time to let the Iraqi forces get on with things.
"There will still be a sizeable British presence in Iraq for the next decade. But, like Bosnia, it will be a garrison, not an occupational force."
At the end of the meeting, Blair and Browne agreed to change the current plan for 1 Mechanised Brigade to take over from 19 Light Brigade in April and May.
Instead, a scaled-down force will fly out to Iraq and can expect to spend most of its time behind the reinforced walls of Basra International Airport instead of the heavily fortified Palace compound next to the Shatt-al-Arab waterway.
Mr Blair's advisers hope the announcement will give Labour a boost in the spring council elections. Both Italy and Poland have already withdrawn most of their troops from Southern Iraq.
The British forces which remain will help to protect the vulnerable supply routes from Kuwait used by US forces. But they will have almost no presence in Basra.
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