The British military today handed over a key base in the southern city of Al-Basrah to Iraqi forces as part of British troops' gradual withdrawal from Iraq.
The structure known as the Old State Building had served as the headquarters of British troops in Al-Basrah since the U.S.-led invasion four years ago.
At a ceremony to lower the Union Jack and raise the Iraqi flag on top of the building, provincial Governor Mohammed Musabah al-Waeili said the handover marked "the first step by the Iraqis to take over the entire security [operation] in Al-Basrah."
Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
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