Troops leave Basra Palace
British troops have transferred their final post in downtown Basra to Iraqi control. On Sunday, at 0100 local time, 550 soldiers withdrew from Basra Palace, joining 5,000 of their colleagues at an army outpost, near Basra Airport. This will mean British forces cannot leave the compound, outside the city, unless called upon by Iraqi authorities. Responding to the announcement, Prime Minister Gordon Brown claimed the withdrawal was "not a defeat". Two senior British generals have criticised US post-war policy in Iraq. Gen Sir Mike Jackson, head of the Army during the invasion, told the Daily Telegraph US policy was "intellectually bankrupt". In an interview published on Saturday, Sir Mike said a claim by the then US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld that US forces "don't do nation-building" was "nonsensical". Maj Gen Tim Cross, who was the most senior UK officer involved in post-war planning, told the Sunday Mirror US policy was "fatally flawed".
