UK hands control of Basra to Iraqi forces
25299
BASRA, Iraq  - Britain handed over security in Basra province to Iraqi forces on Sunday, effectively marking the end of nearly five years of British control of southern Iraq.
633951
Iraq formally took over security control of the southern oil province of Basra from British forces on Sunday paving the way for Britain to sharply reduce its nearly 5,000-strong troop presence.
4040
British troops and armor rolled north  from Basra on Wednesday to take over a deadly area near Baghdad  and free up U.S. troops for a widely expected attack on the  Iraqi rebel-held city of Falluja.
482052
British troops began withdrawing Sunday from their base inside the southern Iraqi city of Basra &#151; their final position in the country's second-largest city, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported.
121402
Britain put Iraqis in command of the  main Iraqi army unit in Basra on Tuesday, a move billed as  paving the way for Washington's main ally to formally announce  major cutbacks in troops.
763627
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Iraqi security forces will be ready to take over security duties in the tumultuous southern city of Basra when British forces hand them over at the beginning of September.
155370
British forces have launched one of their biggest operations in Basra in three years as Prime Minister Tony Blair met US officials to seek a new strategy to end the &quot;hugely challenging&quot; crisis in Iraq.
18923
BASRA, Iraq  - Britain will transfer responsibility for security in Basra province to Iraqi forces on Sunday, effectively marking the end of nearly five years of British control of the southern part of Iraq.
169267
Britain's weekend handover of Basra province will have a limited effect on security in Iraq's biggest oil region because rival Shiite warlords and local officials have been wielding the real power in the area.
368551
Iraqi and British troops begin an operation to purge Shia militias from the police force in Basra city.
331862
BASRA, Iraq  - British troops were quitting the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Sunday night in another step towards handing over the province to Iraqi control and paving the way for an eventual withdrawal of British forces from Iraq.
530344
After handing control of Basra province to Iraqi authorities at the weekend, British officials are hoping the region's economic development will hasten its path towards stability.
34287
BRITAIN agreed today to send 850 British soldiers closer to Baghdad, freeing up US troops to step up attacks on insurgent strongholds.
258100
British forces surround Basra and close its border with Iran in support of Iraq's new security plan.
594102
British forces formally handed over responsibility for the last region in Iraq under their control.
240245
The UK may transfer control of Basra to the Iraqi forces next spring, Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett says.
243479
British Army soldiers from the 1st Battalion, Duke of Wellington Regiment, move toward the center of Basra, southern Iraq, Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004, during clashes with armed gunmen.