Britons to handover Basra base to U.S. tomorrow

BASRA / IraqiNews.com: British forces tomorrow will handover their base at Basra International Airport to U.S. forces, according to a high-ranking official from the airport. “The handover ceremony will be conducted tomorrow (March 31st),” the source told IraqiNews.com news agency. “This comes as part of the British forces’ measures to withdraw from Iraq by the end of July, 2009,” he said. The source pointed out that British and U.S. commanders, in addition to local officials and prominent figures from Basra province will attend the handover ceremony. The oil-rich city of Basra lies 590 km south of Baghdad. MH (P) / SS 1