Britain to significantly reduce troops in Iraq

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Britain's defense chief plans to announce a significant reduction in the number of British forces in Iraq on Monday, a broadcast report said. The Ministry of Defense declined to comment on details, saying Defense Secretary John Reid would make an announcement in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon. The British Broadcasting Corp. said the cut could be by as many as 800 troops, or about 10 percent of the British deployment in southern Iraq. A Ministry of Defense spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with department policy, said Reid would give Parliament details of plans for rotating units and future deployments. The spokesman refused to say whether that would yield a reduction in total numbers.