Basra enjoys peace as British troops prepare to leave - Telegraph

By Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

"Last year the situation was completely different," said Saad Al Atabi, the al-Fayhaa receptionist. "We didn't receive a single wedding booking because of the situation in our city. Now we are getting about 10 couples every week."

Less than a year ago, the city stood in thrall to the murderous power of rival gangs of militant thugs, who enforced a vicious reign of terror over anybody who dared challenge their authority.

Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi army, supported by Iran, imposed strict religious clothes on women and people avoided large gatherings in case of bomb attacks.

Now, with Basra's inhabitants once again walking the streets in comparative safety, Britain has been able to announce its withdrawal from the city after nearly six years of occupation.

The transformation is the fruit of Charge of the Knights, an Iraqi government operation in March, to wrest control of the city back from the warring gangs and clans.

It was one of the greatest successes achieved by Iraq's armed forces since Saddam Hussein's army was disbanded in summer 2003, and was followed by joint British-Iraqi patrols to maintain order.

The patrols marked an improvement in relations after the Iraqi government blamed Britain for allowing the Mahdi army to gain so much power.

While city residents are keen to assert their new found sense of normality, however, it is clear that problems still run very deep. The unemployed youths who last year joined militias are still angry and disaffected.

And although the British Army is pulling out, it will be replaced by American troops, who will be supporting Iraqi forces.

However, with greater security, city services - including the basic provision of water, electricity and rubbish collection - have improved.

"The atmosphere in Basra is no different to that in any normal Middle Eastern city," said one official serving in Basra. "Shops are open for business, roads are being mended, goods are stacked up on the pavements."

The city's once celebrated Corniche again throngs with families in the evenings. A ferris wheel turns above the Shatt al-Arab, the long water way running from the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates down to the Gulf. Floating restaurants have been re-opened.

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Basra Prepares For Exit Of Troops - Sky News

It is only a matter of months before British troops leave Basra, after more than five years since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Sky's Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay assesses how the city could fare after British forces leave.

Troops could leave Iraq by next summer

British troops could withdraw from Iraq as early as next summer with the Iraqi government calling for foreign forces to leave the country.

The situation in Basra where British forces have been based has radically changed since the Iraqi government has taken on local insurgents this year.

International development secretary Douglas Alexander hinted British forces could be removed soon.

"We'll continue to work closely with the government of Iraq but we will see a significant drawdown of British troops as a recognition of the progress and success that's been enjoyed here in Basra," Sky News quoted him as saying.

"We are looking ahead to the first half of 2009 but our focus on the moment is securing the possibility that I've seen today which is for further jobs, further investment, further prosperity," he added.

The Iraqi government's Charge of the Knights campaign in March to clear militias out of Basra has set the course for change and now Iraqis want to take control.

The process of handing Basra airport and airspace over to the Iraqis will begin over the next few weeks with American forces taking over camp security.

Gordon Brown when questioned on the issue did not speculate about a possible withdrawal next year in this week's prime minister's questions, but said an announcement about a "fundamental" change in the nature of the mission can be expected before the end of this year.

For the full news story see www.inthenews.co.uk