Al-Maliki: British Troops Not Necessary in Iraq

Der Premierminister des Iraks, Nouri al-Maliki, informiert am Mittwoch, 23, Juli 2008, auf einer...

Der Premierminister des Iraks, Nouri al-Maliki, informiert am Mittwoch, 23, Juli 2008, auf einer Pressekonferenz in Berlin die Medien ueber seinen Besuch in Deutschland. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) --- Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki addresses a news conference in Berlin, Wedenesday, July 23, 2008.

(Markus Schreiber/AP Photo)

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told The Times of London that the 4,100 British troops in southern Iraq are no longer necessary to provide security, though he said there may be a need for a few British troops to remain for training and technical issues.

"Definitely, the presence of this number of British soldiers is no longer necessary. We thank them for the role they have played, but I think that their stay is not necessary for maintaining security and control," al-Maliki said in the interview, published Monday.

"There might be a need for their expertise in training and some technical issues, yes, but as a fighting force, I do not think it is necessary," he said.

In a statement in London, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense agreed that Britain's military role was shifting from fighting to training and that al-Maliki had "acknowledged this important mentoring and training role."

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"We are nearing the end of this mission but are not there yet," the spokesman said, declining to be named.

In July, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised a major troop withdrawal in the early months of 2009, but Britain's military has said it's premature to discuss specific figures.

Last August, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that most of Britain's contingent in Iraq would be withdrawn over the next nine months, leaving only a few hundred soldiers there.

During the interview, al-Maliki also expressed disappointment with the British performance during last spring's fighting in the southern city of Basra, during which Iraqi troops wrested control of the area from Shiite militias.

Iraqi officials complained at the time that they were disappointed with the amount of support provided by British troops there.

"The British forces withdrew from the confrontation from inside the city to the area of the airport," al-Maliki said. "They stayed away from the confrontation, which gave the gangs and the militias the chance to control the city."