UK troops return Basra to Iraqis

BBC

British troops have transferred control of Basra province to the Iraqi authorities, four-and-a-half years after the invasion.

The handover marks a significant milestone towards Britain's final withdrawal from southern Iraq.

Maj Gen Graham Binns, who led British troops into the city in 2003, said it had "begun to regain its strength".

Iraq's National Security Adviser, Dr Mowaffak al-Rubaie, said the "historic" day marked a "victory for Iraq".....