UK-Iraq
Prime Minister Gordon Brown Monday defended his decision to delay withdrawing the remaining 4,000 British troops from Iraq, saying that there were four functions still to do in the Basra region.

The first one was the move from a combat role to one of overwatch, in getting Iraqi forces to take on a bigger role and which required more intensive training, Brown said.

The second, he said, was the importance to restore full democracy in Basra and there is hope of holding local elections in November or December.

Speaking at his monthly press conference in London, the prime minister said economic and social development was the third and that Britain is helping draw up an economic plan for the area to give them a stake in the future.

Finally, he said, Britain still had to hand over facilities, such as Basra airport, where UK troops were based, to civilian use and control.

Brown told domestic and foreign journalists that he "cannot set an artificial timetable" for completing Britain's withdrawal due to the four functions.

The UK started to drawdown its troop levels in Iraq last year but plans to further half the number to around 2,000 were shelved in spring.

The delay coincided with a flare up in violence, but many analysts have suggested that it was more politically motivated as a complete withdrawal would leave US troops isolated in the country.