'Voices From Afghanistan' Exhibit Profiled In 'The Washington Post'

"The Post's" Style section highlights the exhibit at the Library of Congress, which showcases some of the thousands of handwritten scrolls and letters sent in by listeners to RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan. More

By Country / Iraq

U.K. Troops Hand Over Another Al-Basrah Base

April 08, 2007

British forces in Al-Basrah (file photo) (epa)

April 8, 2007 -- The British military today handed over a key base in the southern Iraqi city of Al-Basrah to the Iraqi army as part of its gradual withdrawal plans from the country.

The military transferred the Shatt Al-Arab base, one of five occupied by the British military since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003, to the 10th Iraqi Army division.

Iraqi army officials said at a ceremony marking the handover that their forces will soon take over other bases in and around Al-Basrah from the British military.

Prime Minister Tony Blair said in February that Britain would begin withdrawing a quarter of its 7,000 troops in the coming months, although a recent pullout in Al-Basrah was described by a British commander as a repositioning in conjunction with a timetable.

(AFP)