Liberal Democrats call for all troops to come home after Basra withdrawal

9.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 18th Dec 2007

Liberal Democrats at the London rally against war in Iraq

British troops have transferred control of Basra province to Iraqi authorities, four-and-a-half years after the invasion. The handover marks a significant milestone towards Britain's final withdrawal from southern Iraq. In a ceremony at Basra airport, British and Iraqi representatives signed a memorandum of understanding to formalise the handover. The 4,500 British troops still in Iraq will now take a backseat role, focusing on training Iraqi forces.

Vince Cable, Acting Liberal Democrat Leader said "If we are handing power back to the Iraqis, why are 4,500 British troops needed for what is essentially a training mission? There is no justification for our continuing presence in Iraq given that the British armed forces are so overstretched. The Government should set a timetable to bring all British troops home from Iraq."