David Miliband arrives in Basra

BASRA / IraqiNews.com: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband arrived in Basra on Friday to hold talks with local officials on the mechanism to withdraw British troops from the city, according to an official source in Basra. “Miliband arrived at the Basra international airport Friday (Feb. 27) and was received by Governor Musbeh al-Waeli,” Aqeel al-Ferieji told IraqiNews.com news agency. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband arrived in Baghdad on Thursday in a surprise visit to the country to hold talks with senior Iraqi officials, a well-informed source said. A total of 178 British soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. It keeps 4,100 servicemen in Basra. Basra is 590 km south of Baghdad. SH (P) 1