Report: UK military to urge that Britain withdraw from Iraq in 12 months, focus on Afghanistan

Above: US and British forces take a break during a joint patrol in Afghanistan in April. UK military officials are reportedly lobbying limiting the British effort to fighting the Taliban.

British military leaders will urge Britain's next prime minister to approve a 12-month timetable for withdrawing forces from Iraq , according to a report in The Sunday Telegraph.

The Ministry of Defense said there had been no change in British policy.

The Sunday Telegraph said: "It is understood that when (Gordon) Brown becomes prime minister later this month, he will be told by defense chiefs that Britain should withdraw from Iraq in 'quick order' and concentrate on fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan ."

The newspaper quoted an unidentified military official as saying: "Britain is not physically capable of fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq at the same time. The question is: which do we give up? The government and the defense chiefs have decided that we should give up Iraq."

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