British General: UK delayed Basra withdrawal 5 months for U.S.

Left: Members of the Mahdi Army celebrate the withdawal of British troops from Basra on Friday.

A British military commander in Iraq has said his forces could have withdrawn from Basra Palace five months ago if the Americans had not issued a plea for them to stay.

Brigadier James Bashall said pressure from Washington meant the troops stayed in the exposed outpost for longer than was necessary.

His comments will inflame tensions between the US and British Governments...

American officials have accused Britain of accepting defeat in southern Iraq and watching Basra descend into "all-out warfare". They are also likely to anger families of servicemen and women who have been killed or wounded in Basra since April.

British forces were finally pulled out of the palace, which had been the target of mortar attacks almost daily, and withdrew to Basra airport a week ago.

Read the rest at the Daily Mail

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