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/ International News / 2007 / August 2007 / August 23, 2007 US general blames Britain for Basra crisis |
A senior U.S. general has said that the withdrawal of British troops from Basra is creating a security crisis in Southern Iraq.General Jack Keane, who is close to the White House and was the architect of the American troop surge in Baghdad this year, said the policy was helping to turn Basra into a city of gangland warfare. I think what has happened is that they [the insurgents] know British numbers are going down and see the character of operations is changing, General Keane told The Daily Telegraph.
London, Aug.23 : A senior U.S. general has said that the withdrawal of British troops from Basra is creating a security crisis in Southern Iraq.General Jack Keane, who is close to the White House and was the architect of the American troop "surge" in Baghdad this year, said the policy was helping to turn Basra into a city of "gangland warfare". I think what has happened is that they [the insurgents] know British numbers are going down and see the character of operations is changing," General Keane told The Daily Telegraph.
"They sense it and have got the momentum going. That's what's happening. There is a power play, but they know no one is going to interfere with them."
The remarks represent the first public questioning of British strategy by a senior US military official since Gordon Brown became Prime Minister at the end of June.
General Keane said the situation had deteriorated to the point where military commanders had even considered using U.S. forces to reinforce the dwindling British presence.
Privately, some US and British commanders believe that by backing the phased withdrawal and hinting that Afghanistan is a higher priority, Brown is buoying up the morale of insurgents.
The Ministry of Defence said there were problems in Basra, but claimed that the ability of Iraq's own security forces to confront them was improving.
The number of British troops in Iraq has fallen from 7,200 at the start of this year to 5,500. This will drop to 5,000 by the beginning of next month.
ANI
