13 December 2008: Bloomberg
By Camilla Hall
Dec. 13 (Bloomberg) -- U.K. Defence Minister John Hutton said he hopes to conclude talks in the coming days on a security pact with Iraq that will allow British troops to remain in the nation after 2008.
When asked today about negotiations on the security deal that will replace the United Nations mandate expiring on Dec. 31, Hutton said, “they’re ongoing, and I hope they’ll be concluded in the next few days.” Hutton spoke at a briefing while attending a security conference in Bahrain.
The U.K. has about 4,100 troops left in Iraq, most at an air base outside Basra, down from more than 40,000 at the time of the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. The Iraqi army now provides day-to-day security in the region and Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said the U.K. expects a “fundamental change” in its mission in the country in 2009.
“We are looking to develop an ongoing relationship with the Iraqis, and I think one of the most important areas for that ongoing bilateral military relationship will be in providing support for the Iraqi navy,” Hutton said.
The U.S. and Iraq agreed on a Status of Forces Agreement last month. The accord calls for U.S. troops to pull back from Iraq’s towns and cities by the mid-2009, and leave the country by the end of 2011. The accord also curbs U.S. powers to detain Iraqi citizens and conduct military operations.
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