Coalition forces to remain in Basra airport’s military section

BASRA / IraqiNews.com: British forces in southern Iraq on Friday said that the Basra International Airport will be handed over to Iraqi authorities on January 1, 2009 but they will remain in the military side of the facility. “The decision taken by the Iraqi parliament allows British troops to remain in Iraq,” a spokesman for the coalition forces in Basra told IraqiNews.com, adding this should allow the British forces to back Iraqi forces in the forthcoming elections as well as completing their mission of training Iraq’s 14th Division. He said that the Basra provincial council elections will be “the most important elections to be held in Iraq in a while,” noting the Iraqi security forces will be in control over security during that period with backing from the coalition forces as required. “After completing all our missions, our forces will withdraw on July 31, 2009 at the most and hand over the military side of the base to the U.S. forces while Iraqis will be in control over the civilian side of the airport,” said the British spokesman. AmR (P) 1