Britain puts hold on withdrawing troops from Iraq

The British want security to improve before proceeding with the pullout.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — Britain said Thursday it will keep its troop withdrawals from Iraq on hold until security improves, after the flare-up in fighting between government forces and Shiite militiamen.

At least 13 people were killed Thursday as U.S. and Iraqi troops battled Shiite gunmen in Baghdad, where the fighting spread last month after erupting in the southern city of Basra, where Britain’s 4,000 soldiers are based.

Several rockets or mortar shells slammed into the U.S.-controlled Green Zone, sending diplomats and government officials scurrying for concrete bunkers. One projectile hit the roof of the building housing the Polish Embassy’s security staff, slightly wounding one person.

British Defense Secretary Des Browne said in London that Britain still hopes to remove hundreds of soldiers this year, but the pullout will stay frozen because of the surge in fighting.

Britain had planned to withdraw about 1,500 soldiers this spring, leaving some 2,500 in the south, down from 46,000 during the U.S.-led invasion, 18,000 in May 2004 and 8,500 at the end of 2005. The U.S. has 155,000 military personnel in Iraq.

“While the situation on the ground continues to evolve rapidly, and while military commanders continue to assess the changing environment in Basra, it remains prudent that we take time to fully consider further reductions,” Browne said in a written statement to Parliament.

The announcement came as British Foreign Secretary David Miliband made an unannounced visit to Baghdad for talks with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other top Iraqi officials.

Al-Maliki told the British official that the Iraqi government’s fight against Shiite militias had won broad political support from Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish political parties, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.

Al-Maliki said the situation in the south was now stable and the government was continuing “to pursue all outlaws,” the statement said.

But the British clearly want to see how the situation develops before resuming large-scale troop reductions.

Fighting with Shiite militias broke out last month when al-Maliki, a Shiite, launched a major offensive seeking to wrest control of Basra, Iraq’s second-largest city and headquarters of the oil industry, from Shiite forces that included the Mahdi Army of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

The offensive stalled due to strong resistance, poor planning and widespread desertions until an Iranian-mediated truce March 30 gave al-Maliki’s government time to reorganize and resume operations.

U.S. and British troops have been providing air cover and logistical support to Iraqi forces, who have gained control of Basra.

But fighting continues in the Baghdad area, especially in the Mahdi Army stronghold of Sadr City, a sprawling neighborhood that is home to some 2.5 million people.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military said two of its soldiers died in an accident north of Baghdad in Salahuddin province when their vehicle rolled onto its side.